“The government provides tremendous opportunities. Young lawyers can get immediate exposure to important legal work, including trials, that they can’t get anywhere else.” — Jack Keeney

John C. “Jack” Keeney is remembered as one of the most lauded public servants in the country. His career with the United States Department of Justice Criminal Division spanned five decades, twelve U.S. presidents, and twenty-three attorneys general, making him one of the longest serving career employees in the history of the federal government.

Keeney was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He first served his country as a member of the U.S. Army Air Corps, suspending his undergraduate studies to join the war effort in 1943. A navigator aboard a B-17 bomber, he was stationed in England and charged with flying bombing raids over Nazi Germany. On one such raid Keeney’s bomber was struck, losing three of four engines before the crew made the decision to abandon the plane at 11,000 feet. When their feet hit the ground, they were captured as prisoners of war. Keeney remained in POW camps until he was liberated by the U.S. Army’s 14th Armored Division.

Following the war, Keeney completed a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Scranton in 1947. He earned his law degree from The Dickinson School of Law in 1949 and a masters of law from The George Washington University School of Law in 1953.

Keeney joined the Department of Justice in March of 1951. Over the years, he served in such significant capacities as Chief of the Smith Act Unit in the Internal Security Division, Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section, Chief of the Fraud Section, and as a representative of the U.S. legal team negotiating the mutual legal assistance treaty with Switzerland.

Keeney served on numerous occasions as Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division. He retired as Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division in 2010 and passed away in November 2011.

During his life, Keeney had been celebrated by the Department of Justice with the prestigious Attorney General’s Award for his exceptional service and with the Criminal Division’s highest award, the Henry E. Petersen Memorial Award. The Justice Department dedicated its building at 1301 New York Avenue, N.W., in his name.

“Mr. Keeney was one of the most respected officials in the federal law enforcement community and has made an enduring imprint on the community and on the federal civil service itself.” — Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General