John Brenden "Jack" Kelly Jr. (May 24, 1927 – March 2, 1985), also known as Kell Kelly, was an American athlete, an accomplished rower, a four-time Olympian, and an Olympic medal winner. He was the son of triple Olympic gold medal winner Jack Kelly Sr., and the elder brother of the actress and

Princess of Monaco Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

Grace Kelly Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956. Kell ...

. In 1947, Kelly was awarded the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States. He served a brief tenure as president of the

United States Olympic Committee The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is the National Olympic Committee and the National Paralympic Committee for the United States. It was founded in 1895 as the United States Olympic Committee, and is headquartered in Col ...

. Kelly was also a politician, and served as an

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

member of the

Philadelphia City Council The Philadelphia City Council, the legislative body of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consists of ten members elected by district and seven members elected at-large. The council president is elected by the members from among their number. Each ...

Early life and family

Kelly was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the second child and only son of

Margaret Katherine Majer Margaret Majer Kelly (born Margaret Katherine Majer; December 13, 1898 – January 6, 1990) was an American instructor of physical education for women and first coach of women's teams at the University of Pennsylvania. She was the wife of John B. ...

and John Kelly Sr.. His paternal grandparents were Irish immigrants, with his grandfather from

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the yew trees") is a county in Ireland. In the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Coun ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. John Sr. was the son of a farmer; he started his own bricklaying business, "Kelly for Brickwork", and became a multimillionaire. His mother's parents were German and emigrated to the United States. Before her marriage, his mother Margaret was a model and competitive swimmer. She converted from

Protestantism Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

when she married. Kelly's uncle George Kelly was a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. Kelly had an older sister Margaret (born September 1925 and nicknamed "Peggy") and two younger sisters,

Grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninc ...

(born November 1929) and Elizabeth Anne (born June 1933 and nicknamed "Lizanne"). Kelly's younger sister Grace would go on to become an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...

winning film actor and marry

Rainier III, Prince of Monaco Rainier III (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005) was Prince of Monaco from 1949 to his death in 2005. Rainier ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest-ruling m ...

in 1956. Kelly's nephew is Monaco's current monarch

Prince Albert II Albert II – Website of the Palace of Monaco (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; born 14 March 1958) is Prince of Monaco, since 2005. Albert was born at the Prince's Palace of Monaco, and he is the second child and only son of Prince Ra ...

. The children were raised in a 17-room house on Henry Avenue in

East Falls, Philadelphia East Falls (also The Falls, formerly the Falls of Schuylkill) is a neighborhood in the Northwest section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It lies on the east bank of the "Falls of the Schuylkill," cataracts submerged in 18 ...

Kelly served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. He was stationed in

United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge (USNTC Bainbridge) was the U.S. Navy Training Center at Port Deposit, Maryland, on the bluffs of the northeast bank of the Susquehanna River. It was active from 1942 to 1976 under the Commander o ...

. Kelly graduated from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universit ...

in 1950 and rowed for the varsity team.

Sports and rowing

Kelly represented the United States at the 1948 Summer Olympics at

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, the 1952 Summer Olympics in

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bo ...

and the

1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, wh ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...

, Australia in

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically at ...

in the

single scull A single scull (or a scull) is a rowing boat designed for a single person who propels the boat with two oars, one in each hand. Racing boats (often called "shells") are long, narrow, and broadly semi-circular in cross-section in order to mini ...

(1x). He represented the United States in the

double scull A double scull is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two persons who propel the boat by sculling with two oars each, one in each hand. Racing boats (often called "shells") are long, narrow, and broadly ...

(2x) at the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

in Rome. Kelly won a bronze medal at the 1956 Games. He also won gold medals at the 1955 and 1959

Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is hel ...

and 1949 European Championships. Ens John B Kelly, Jr, USN, 04May1951

Kelly at Henley

Kelly's father John B. Kelly Sr. won two gold medals at the

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...

, capturing both the

(1x) and the

(2x). The senior Kelly repeated his victory in the double scull at the

1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIIe olympiade) and also known as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The op ...

. In 1920, despite his accomplishments as an rower, the senior Kelly's entry was rejected at the then most prestigious rowing event in the world, the

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thr ...

. According to the minutes of the regatta's Committee of Management, Kelly was excluded for two reasons: first, because having worked as a bricklayer he was not eligible under the regatta's then rules on

amateurism An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, self-taught, user-generated, DIY, and hobbyist. History Hi ...

(which excluded anyone ''"...who is or ever has been … by trade or employment for wages a mechanic, artisan or labourer"'') and second because he was a member of

Vesper Boat Club The Vesper Boat Club is an amateur rowing club located at #10 Boathouse Row in the historic Boathouse Row of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1865 as the Washington Barge Club, the Club changed its name to Vesper Boat Club in 1870. Vesper' ...

which was banned in 1906 after members of their 1905 crew raised money through a public subscription to pay for their travel expenses. Kelly's exclusion was widely reported in newspapers in both the UK and US, with many seeing it as an attempt to prevent an American from winning the prestigious

Diamond Challenge Sculls The Diamond Challenge Sculls is a rowing event for men's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land border ...

event although an American, Edward Ten Eyck, had previously won the event in 1897. In 1947, Kelly Jr. won the Diamond Challenge Sculls (single scull) at the Henley, the event from which his father had been excluded. In recognition of his accomplishment, Kelly was awarded the 1947 James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States. In 1949 Kelly repeated his feat and again won the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley. In 1980, Kelly's sister

Princess Grace of Monaco Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956. Kelly ...

was invited to present the trophies at the Regatta. In 2003, the

Princess Grace Challenge Cup The Princess Grace Challenge Cup is a rowing event for women's quadruple sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to female crews from all eligible rowing clubs. Two or more clubs may com ...

named in her honour was first presented. In 2004, Grace's son (and Kelly's nephew)

Prince Albert of Monaco Albert II – Website of the Palace of Monaco (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; born 14 March 1958) is Prince of Monaco, since 2005. Albert was born at the Prince's Palace of Monaco, and he is the second child and only son of Prince Rai ...

presented the trophies at the Regatta.

Kelly at the Olympics

At the 1948 Summer Olympics in

, Kelly competed on the same Henley course where he had won the Diamond Challenge Sculls the year before. Kelly won his opening heat, but did not make the finals after finishing second to eventual Silver Medalist

Eduardo Risso Eduardo Risso (born 23 November 1959) is an Argentines, Argentine comics artist. In the United States he is best known for his work with writer Brian Azzarello on the Vertigo (DC Comics), Vertigo title ''100 Bullets'', while in Argentina and Eur ...

in the semi-finals. (Due to course width constrictions, the Henley course could only handle a 3 boat final). At the 1952 Summer Olympics in

, Kelly again won his opening heat. In the semi-final, which was one to qualify, Kelly finished second to eventual champion Yuriy Tyukalov, and Kelly was relegated to the repechage, or second-chance race, which was also one to qualify for the final. In the

repechage Repechage (; french: repêchage, "fishing out, rescuing") is a practice in series competitions that allows participants who failed to meet qualifying standards by a small margin to continue to the next round. A well known example is the wild car ...

, Kelly's main competitor was Teodor Kocerka of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

. They fought all the way down the course with Kocerka, who would go on to win the Bronze medal, prevailing in a close finish. At the

, Kelly won his Olympic medal, a bronze. He was beaten by two teenage prodigies, Vyacheslav Ivanov of

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

and

Stuart Mackenzie Stuart Mackenzie (5 April 1936 - 20 October 2020) was an Australian rower. He was an Australian champion and Olympic medalist, who also competed for Great Britain at the 1962 World Championships. Club and state rowing Mackenzie was educated a ...

of Australia, but Kelly beat Teodor Kocerka, who had beaten Kelly four years earlier. Kelly gave the medal to his sister Grace, who married

Prince Rainier Rainier III (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005) was Prince of Monaco from 1949 to his death in 2005. Rainier ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest-ruling m ...

earlier that year, as a wedding present. He would later quip that he had hoped it would have been a different color. In

1960 It is also known as the " Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * J ...

, Kelly competed in the double scull at his final Olympics in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. His boat would be eliminated in the repechage.

Later career in sports

In 1964, following his retirement from rowing, Kelly acted as manager for the United States Olympic 8-man boat. It was composed of rowers from the

, to which Kelly also belonged. That boat won a Gold Medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

. In 1968, Kelly served as a member of the national committee for the

modern pentathlon The modern pentathlon is an Summer Olympics, Olympic sport consisting of fencing (sport), fencing (one-touch épée), freestyle swimming, show jumping, equestrian show jumping, pistol shooting, and cross country running. The event is inspired by t ...

. Kelly became a passionate advocate for athletes. He was elected president of the

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It has ...

in 1970 and stirred controversy by arguing that the amateur code had become outmoded, thereby helping free the Olympics from sham amateurism. In 1974, Kelly headed a group of Philadelphia business men who became owners of the Philadelphia Bell, a franchise in the now defunct World Football League. Kelly's name and connections were important in giving the franchise legitimacy and in negotiating agreements with the city of Philadelphia. However, as the first season progressed, Kelly stepped aside as the team president in favor of John Bosacco, who owned a controlling interest in the franchise. In February 1985, Kelly was elected president of the

. The appointment was short-lived – Kelly died three weeks later. Kelly was posthumously inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame as a contributor. Kelly and his father are the only parent-child duo in the Olympic Hall of Fame.

Business and professional life

Kelly was a respected businessperson as owner of "Kelly for Brickwork", a company started by his father, John B. Kelly Sr. Kelly was actively involved in politics and served for 12 years as City Councilman-

At-Large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

(D). Kelly also served on the

Fairmount Park Fairmount Park is the largest municipal park in Philadelphia and the historic name for a group of parks located throughout the city. Fairmount Park consists of two park sections named East Park and West Park, divided by the Schuylkill River, with ...

Commission. For many years, Kelly played the role of George Washington in the annual Christmas Day re-enactment of the famous 1776 crossing of the Delaware River. The re-enactors would cross over from Pennsylvania to New Jersey on Christmas afternoon.

Personal life

Kelly's first wife was Mary Gray Freeman (now known as Mary Spitzer). She was the daughter of Monroe Edward and Christine Gray, the 1951 national women's champion in swimming and a member of the United States swimming team for the 1952 Olympics at Helsinki (she appeared on the cover of ''Life'' on July 23, 1951). They married in 1954 and had six children, including John B. Kelly III, Susan von Medicus, and Elizabeth "Liz" Kelly.Taraborrelli 2003 p.340 Kelly and Freeman divorced in 1980. On May 28, 1981, Kelly married Sandra Lee Worley, a banker. She was the daughter of Laura Kristine Worley and

Chief Warrant Officer Chief warrant officer is a military rank used by the United States Armed Forces, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Pakistan Air Force, the Israel Defense Forces, the South African National Defence Force, the Lebanese Armed Forces and, since 2012, t ...

Russell Edwin. They remained married until Kelly's death in 1985. Kelly served as Philadelphia City Councilman-at-Large from 1967 to 1979

Death

On the morning of March 2, 1985, Kelly suffered a fatal

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...

while jogging to The Athletic Club in Philadelphia after his customary morning row on the Schuylkill River. His body was discovered on 18th and Callowhill Street shortly after 9:30 am. Kelly was taken to

Hahnemann University Hospital Hahnemann University Hospital was a tertiary care center in Center City Philadelphia. It was the teaching hospital of Drexel University College of Medicine. Established in 1885, it was for most of its history the main teaching hospital associated ...

where he was pronounced dead. Jack Kelly Jr.'s private funeral was held in Philadelphia. Among the attendees were his brother-in-law

, his nieces Princess Caroline and Princess Stéphanie, his nephew the-then Prince Albert, then Philadelphia mayor

Wilson Goode Woodrow Wilson Goode Sr. (born August 19, 1938) is a former Mayor of Philadelphia and the first African American to hold that office. He served from 1984 to 1992, a period which included the controversial MOVE police action and house bombing ...

and former Philadelphia mayors William J. Green, III and

Frank Rizzo Francis Lazarro Rizzo (October 23, 1920 – July 16, 1991) was an American police officer and politician. He served as Philadelphia police commissioner from 1968 to 1971 and mayor of Philadelphia from 1972 to 1980. He was a member of the Democr ...

. John Kelly Jr. is buried in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in

Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania Cheltenham Township is a Home Rule Municipality (Pennsylvania), home rule township (Pennsylvania), township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Cheltenham's population density ranges from over 10,000 per square mile (25,900 per squa ...

Achievements and awards

* Diamond Scull, Henley Royal Regatta, 1947 and 1949 * James E. Sullivan Award Winner 1947 * Member US Olympic team 1948, 1952, 1956 and 1960 * Olympic Bronze Medallist in Single Scull, 1956 * 8-time United States National Champion, single scull * Member US rowing Hall of Fame, elected 1956 * Manager for the 1964 Olympic Gold Medal eight man boat * President of the United States Olympic Committee. * United States Olympic Hall of Fame, as a contributor *

Olympic Order The Olympic Order, established in 1975, is the highest award of the Olympic Movement. It is awarded for particularly distinguished contributions to the Olympic Movement, i.e. recognition of efforts worthy of merit in the cause of sport. Traditi ...

in Silver * City Councilman (Democrat-

)

Legacy

Kelly Drive A kelly drive is a type of well drilling device on an oil or gas drilling rig that employs a section of pipe with a polygonal (three-, four-, six-, or eight-sided) or splined outer surface, which passes through the matching polygonal or spline ...

, Philadelphia, formerly East River Drive, was renamed in his honor after his death. Boathouse Row is located here.

References

External links

Schuylkill Navy site on Kelly, et al.
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, John B. 1927 births 1985 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople American athlete-politicians American people of German descent American people of Irish descent American sports executives and administrators Burials at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery James E. Sullivan Award recipients Kelly family American male rowers Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in rowing Pennsylvania Democrats Philadelphia City Council members Military personnel from Philadelphia Rowers at the 1948 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 1952 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 1956 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 1960 Summer Olympics William Penn Charter School alumni Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics Pan American Games medalists in rowing Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States Catholics from Pennsylvania Rowers at the 1955 Pan American Games Rowers at the 1959 Pan American Games Presidents of the United States Olympic Committee European Rowing Championships medalists Medalists at the 1955 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1959 Pan American Games United States Navy personnel of World War II