Background
Keith, Damon Jerome was born on July 4, 1922 in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Son of Perry A. and Annie L. (Williams) Keith.
Keith, Damon Jerome was born on July 4, 1922 in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Son of Perry A. and Annie L. (Williams) Keith.
Bachelor, West Virginia State College, 1943. Juris Doctor, Howard University, 1949. Master of Laws, Wayne State University, 1956.
Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), University Michigan. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Howard University. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Wayne State University.
Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Michigan State University. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), New York Law School. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Detroit College Law.
Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), West Virginia State College. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), University Detroit. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Atlanta University.
Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Lincoln University. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Marygrove College. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Detroit Institute of Technology.
Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Shaw College. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Central State University. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Yale University.
Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Eastern Michigan University. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Virginia Union University.
Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Central Michigan University. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Morehouse College. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Western Michigan University.
Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Tuskegee University. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Georgetown University. Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), Hofstra University.
Doctor of Philosophy (honorary) (honorary), DePaul University.
Attorney Office Friend of Court, Detroit, 1951—1955. Senior partner firm Keith, Conyers Anderson, Brown & Wahls, 1964—1967. Member Wayne County Board Supervisors, 1958—1963.
District judge United States District Court (eastern district) Michigan, 1967—1977, chief judge, 1975—1977. Judge United States Court Appeals (6th circuit), Detroit, 1977—1995, senior judge, since 1995. Member Wayne County (Michigan) Board Supervisors, 1958—1963.
Chairman Michigan Civil Rights Commission, 1964—1967. President Detroit Housing Commission, 1958—1967. Commissioner State Bar Michigan, 1960—1967.
Member Detroit Bar Association, Michigan Committee Manpower Development and Vocational Training, 1964, Detroit Mayor's Health Advisory Committee, 1969. Representative district judges 6th Circuit Judicial Conference, 1975—1977. Advisory committee on codes of conduct Judicial Conference United States, 1979—1986.
Subcommittee on supporting personnel Judicial Conference Committee on Court Administration, 1983—1987. Chairman Committee on the Bicentennial of Constitution of Sixth Circuit, since 1985. National chairman Judicial Conference Committee on the Bicentennial of Constitution, since 1987.
Member Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution, 1990. Lecturer Howard University, 1972, Ohio State University Law School, 1992, New York Law School, 1992. Guest lecturer Howard University Law School, 1981.
Bicentennial of Constitution lecturer West Virginia State College, 1987. Keynote speaker Black Law Students Association, Harvard Law School, 1987. United States Army, 1943-1946.
Trustee Medical Corporation Detroit, Interlochen Arts Academy, Cranbrook School, University Detroit, Michigan chapter Leukemia Society of America. Member Citizen's Advisory Committee Equal Educational Opportunity Detroit Board Education. General co-chairman United Negro College Fund Detroit.
1st vice president emeritus Detroit chapter National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Member committee management Detroit Young Men’s Christian Association. Member Detroit council Boy Scouts American, Detroit Arts Commission.
Vice chairman Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Visiting committee Wayne State University Law School. Advisory council University Notre Dame Law School.
Chairman Citizen's Council for Michigan Public Universities. Deacon Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church. Deacon Bapt church; board directors Detroit Board Table, National Conference of Christians and Jews.
Member of American Bar Association (council section legal education and admission to bar), American Judicature Society, National Lawyers Guild, Detroit Bar Association (pres'. award), Michigan Bar Association (champion of justice award), National Bar Association (William H. Hastie award Judicial Council, 8th Annual equal Justice award), Detroit Cotillion Club, Alpha Phi Alpha.
Married Rachel Boone Keith, October 18, 1953. Children: Cecile Keith, Debbie, Gilda.