Established August 1997

This chair was created during U of L’s bicentennial campaign through an endowment from Virginia T. Keeney ’54M, ’81MER and matching funds from the estate of William H. and Blondina Evans and the state’s Research Challenge Trust Fund. The chair honors Keeney’s late husband, Arthur H. Keeney ’41M, ’46MER and will support a nationally recognized researcher who provides leadership in the genetics of visual disease, the application of biotechnology to treatments, and the education and ethics training of students and residents.

Arthur Keeney served as dean of the School of Medicine from 1973 to 1980. Virginia Keeney is an emeritus assistant professor of psychiatry and a 2007 Alumni Fellow.