John B. Kelly, Jr.
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John B. Kelly, Jr. (May 24, 1927, Philadelphia – May 2, 1985, Philadelphia), also known as Kell Kelly or Jack Kelly, was an accomplished oarsman. He was also the brother of Princess Grace Kelly, the son of triple Olympic gold medal winner John B. Kelly, Sr., and a City Councilman for Philadelphia.
Background and history
John Brendan Kelly Jr. represented the United States at the 1948 Summer Olympics at London, England, the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland and the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia in rowing in the single scull (1x). And he represented the United States in the double scull (2x) at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Kelly won a bronze medal at the 1956 Games. He also won the gold medal at the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City.
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Kelly is the son of John B. Kelly, Sr. who won 2 gold medals at the 1920 Summer Olympics, capturing both the single scull (1x) and the double scull (2x). The senior Kelly repeated his victory in the double scull at the 1924 Summer Olympics. In 1920, despite his accomplishments as an oarsman, the senior Kelly entry was rejected at the most prestigious rowing event in the world, the Henley Royal Regatta. No explanation was given by the regatta, but the popular explanation was he was not genteel enough because he worked with his hands as a bricklayer.
In 1947 the junior Kelly extracted revenge by winning the Diamond Challenge Sculls (single scull) at the Henley, the event to which his father had been denied entrance. Kelly was awarded the 1947 James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States for his achievement. Kelly repeated his victory at Henley in 1949.
Kelly is also well-known as the brother of Grace Kelly, movie star and Princess of Monaco. His uncle George Kelly was a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright. Kelly is the maternal uncle of Albert II, the reigning monarch of Monaco.
At the 1956 Summer Olympics, Kelly won his only Olympic medal, a bronze. He was beaten by two teenage prodigies, Vyacheslav Ivanov of Russia and Stuart Mackenzie of Australia. Kelly gave the medal to his sister Grace, who married Prince Rainier earlier that year, as a wedding present. He would later quip that he had hoped it would have been a different color.
Kelly was actively involved in politics and was elected as a councilman in Philadelphia. Kelly was elected president of the United States Olympic Committee in 1985. The appointment was short-lived. Kelly died unexpectedly later that year. 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.
Kelly's first wife was Mary Gray Freeman (now known as Mary Spitzer), the 1951 national women's champion in swimming and a member of the United States swimming team destined for the 1952 Olympics at Helsinki. (She appeared on the cover of Life Magazine on July 23, 1951.) Their marriage took place on March 4, 1954. The couple had six children, including John B. Kelly III, Susan von Medicus, and Margaret "Maggie" Kelly, now deceased, who shared her parents' sporting interests (not to be confused with the English swimming champion of the same name). According to a quotation by Ms. Spitzer in a book about Grace Kelly, their marriage ended in the late 1970s or early 1980s after Ms. Spitzer learned of the extent of his infidelities.
Kelly's later personal life was controversial because of his relationship with and eventual marriage to Sandra Worley, a male-to-female transsexual, on May 28, 1981.
Kelly died while out jogging near his Philadelphia home. Kelly Drive and the John B. Kelly, Jr. Memorial Boathouse — home of the Vesper Rowing Club — are named in his honor.
Achievements and awards
- Diamond Scull, Henley Royal Regatta, 1947 and 1949
- Sullivan Award Winner 1947
- Member US Olympic team 1948, 1952, 1956 and 1960
- Gold Medal, 1955 Pan American Games, single scull
- Gold Medal, 1959 Pan American Games, double scull
- Bronze Medal, 1956 Olympics, single scull
- Member US rowing Hall of Fame, elected 1956
- Manager for the 1964 Olympic Gold Medal eight man boat
- City Council man, Philadelphia, PA
- President of the United States Olympic Committee.
- United States Olympic Hall of Fame, as a contributor
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