Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/206

 KEEN

KEENE

ward reinvented and patented in France. He died at "Highland Grove," near Stroudsburg, Pa., Nov. 2, 1883.

KEEN, William Williams, surgeon, was born at Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 19,1837; son of Wil- liam W. and Susan (Budd) Keen ; grandson of Joseph and Margaret (Williams) Keen and a de- scendant of Juran Kyn, who came from Sweden with Governor Printz in 1642. Joran Kyn was the founder of the town of Ches- ter, Pa., then called Upland. The name was changed to Kien by the Dutch in or- der to preserve the proper pronunciation, and later by the English to Keen. He was graduated from Brown university in 1859 and from Jef- erson Medical col- lege, Philadelphia, Pa., in 1862. He was assistant surgeon in the 5th Massachusetts regiment, 1861 ; acting as- sistant surgeon in the U.S. army, and an as- sistant at Eckington hospital, Washington, D.C., and various other army hospitals, 1862-64 ; a student in Europe, 1864-66, and in the latter year established himself as a surgeon in Philadelphia. He conducted the Philadelphia School of Anat- omy, 1866-75 ; lectured on pathological anatomy at Jefferson Medical college, 1866-77 ; was pro- fessor of artistic anatomy at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, 1876-90 ; professor of sur- gery at Woman's Medical college, 1884-89 ; pro- fessor of surgery at Jefferson Medical college after 1889. He introduced many new ideas in operative surgery, paid special attention to the surgery of the nervous system and was one of the pioneers in cerebral surgery. He was made for- eign corresponding member of the Societe de Chirurgie de Paris, and of the Societe Beige de Chirurgie in 1894. He declined in 1898 the ap- pointment on the President's board of inquiry of the war department in the Spanish-American war. He was elected president of the Philadelphia County Medical society, president of the Amer- ican Surgical association, president of the Amer- ican Medical association, president of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia; member of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, and consulting surgeon to various hospitals. He was elected a trustee of Brown university in 1873 ; of Shaw university; of Crozer Theological seminary ; and of Pennsylvania Dental college. Brown con- ferred upon him the degree of LL.D. in 1892.

He edited Gray's Anatomy (1887) and other me'i- ical text books, and is the author of : Gunshot Wounds and other hi juries of the Nerves (1S64); Reflex Paralysis (1864); Clinical Charts of the Human Body (1872); Surgical Complications and Sequels of Typhoid Fever (1898); Early History of Practical Anatomy {1815); American Text Book of Surgery (1890), and scientific articles contrib- uted to many medical periodicals.

KEENE, Laura, actress, was born in Chelsea,. London, England, in 1820. She was known in private life as Mary Moss. She made her first ap- pearance as an actress on the stage of the Lyceum theatre, London, in 1845, while it was under the management of Madam Vestris. She appeared as Pauline in " The Lady of Lyons" in 1851 and in 1852 came to the United States, making her first appearance at Wallack's tiieati'e, New York city. She became favorably known throughout the United States as a light comedy actress, and in 1854, having played in the principal eastern cities, made a tour to California and from there went to Australia with Edwin Booth and other famous players. She was manager of the Varie- ties theatre in New York city in 1855, and leased the Olympic theatre, 1855-63, which was known for a time as Laura Keene's theatre. She brought out many new plays there, among which was " Our American Cousin" in 1858, with Josepli Jefferson and Edward A. Sothernin the cast, and in 1860 "The Seven Sisters," which ran 169 nights. During the presentation of " Our Amer- ican Cousin " at Ford's theatre, Washington, D. C, April 14, 18- 65, President = Lincoln was as- sassinated vvhiU seated in a pri- vate box wit- nessing the play, and Miss Keene j was the first to j reach the box and give assist- ance to the dy- ing President. In 1868 she vis- ited England. She appeared in the principal cities of the United States on her return from England in 1868 and in 1871 she retired from the stage. She published a weekly art journal in New York for one year and arranged several plays. She was married in 1847 to Henry Well- ington Taylor and in 1857 to John Lutz. She died at Moutclair, N.J., Nov. 4, 1873.

FORD'S THEATRE..