Hazen E. Nutter Scholarship Fund

Kenneth and Janet Keene established this endowed scholarship in memory of Hazen E. Nutter, who graduated from the University of Florida’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1937.

Kenneth Keene’s long relationship with the University of Florida began in the summer of 1942, when he was still in high school. His mother, a South Bay, Fla., school teacher, brought Keene with her to Gainesville that summer where she was taking courses to update her teaching license. She enrolled Ken at UF’s P.K. Yonge Lab School where he met instructor Hazen Nutter. Nutter was impressed with the young Keene and convinced Mrs. Keene to leave her son with him in Gainesville where he could continue his studies and help Nutter care for his elderly mother.

“Nutter had a substantial influence on me. He held three jobs simultaneously…..and he always inspired me to do my homework. He also taught me how to drive,” said Keene. Keene left the Nutters and UF after his freshman year to join the Navy. He served until the end of WWII (19 months) and later returned to UF and graduated in 1947.

Because the Navy put him through a special 11-month training program for radar technology, Keene was able to convince the registrar to give him 30 hours of arts and sciences credit when he returned to UF in 1946. Keene kept in close touch with Nutter, who continued to take in and support other students. To commemorate Nutter, Keene donated a conference table for the Ruth McQuown Room and an endowed memorial scholarship fund in Nutter’s nam