John Brendan Kelly (1889-1960)

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Competitor (Rowing): 1920 Summer Olympics (Antwerp)
Competitor (Rowing): 1924 Summer Olympics (Paris)
American Triple Olympian Champion
1936-1937: Pennsylvania Secretary of Revenue

John "Jack" Brendan Kelly, Sr. was born 4 October 1889 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States to John Henry Kelly (1847-1917) and Mary Ann Costello (1852-1926) and died 20 June 1960 Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States of unspecified causes. He married Margaret Katherine Majer (1898-1990) 23 January 1924 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States.

Biography

Jack Kelly, also known as John B. Kelly Sr., was an American athlete who competed in the sport of rowing during the early 20th century. He was born on October 4, 1889, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and passed away on June 20, 1960.

Kelly came from a prominent Irish-American family and was one of ten children. He developed a passion for rowing at a young age and joined the Vesper Boat Club in Philadelphia, which was known for producing top-notch rowers.

In 1919, Kelly won the prestigious Diamond Sculls event at the Henley Royal Regatta in England, becoming the first American to achieve this feat. He continued his success in rowing and earned a spot on the United States rowing team for the 1920 Summer Olympics held in Antwerp, Belgium.

At the 1920 Olympics, Jack Kelly won two gold medals. He competed in the single sculls event, where he showcased his exceptional skills and dominated the competition, securing the first gold medal for the United States. Additionally, he was part of the American team that won the gold medal in the double sculls event.

Kelly's remarkable achievements in rowing brought him great fame and recognition. He became a national hero in the United States and was regarded as one of the best rowers of his time. He continued to compete in rowing events throughout the 1920s, achieving several victories and earning a reputation as a formidable athlete.

Aside from his sporting success, Jack Kelly had a notable personal life. He married Margaret Katherine Majer, who was a three-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming, in 1924. They had four children together, including Grace Kelly, who would go on to become a renowned actress and later Princess of Monaco.

Marriage and Family

After a long courtship, Kelly married Margaret Katherine Majer (1898-1990) in 1924, daughter of German immigrants. Well known herself in the world of sports, she was the founder of Women's sports in the University of Pennsylvania. Majer's family was Lutheran and she converted to Catholicism prior to the marriage. They had four children: Margaret "Peggy" Katherine (1925–1991), John "Kell" Brendan Jr. (1927–1985), Grace Patricia (1929–1982) and Elizabeth "Lizanne" Anne (1933–2009).

John B. Kelly Jr. won the Diamond Sculls at Henley in 1947 and 1949. Jack Jr., as he was also known, won the James E. Sullivan Award as the best amateur athlete in the U.S. in 1947 for his accomplishments. He would go on to represent the United States at the 1948, 1952, 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games. Jack Jr. won the bronze medal in the single scull at the 1956 Olympics and continue to be involved in amateur sports, eventually being appointed President of the United States Olympic Committee shortly before his sudden death from a heart attack in 1985.^[1]

Kelly's daughter Grace Kelly (1929-1982) was an Academy Award-winning actress who became Princess consort of Monaco when she married Rainier III of Monaco (1923-2005) in 1956. Kelly purportedly gave Prince Rainier a $2 million dowry for his daughter's marriage. Kelly is the maternal grandfather of Albert II of Monaco (1958-), the reigning prince of Monaco. When Grace's engagement to Prince Rainier was announced, Kelly quipped: "I told the Prince that royalty didn't mean that much to us, and that I hoped he wouldn't run around the way some Princes do."

Children

Offspring of Jack Kelly, Sr. and Margaret Katherine Majer (1898-1990)
Name	Birth	Death	Joined with
Margaret Katherine Kelly (1925-1991)
John Brendan Kelly (1926-1985)
Grace Kelly (1929-1982)	12 November 1929 Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States	14 September 1982 Princess Grace Hospital Centre, Monaco, Monaco	Rainier III of Monaco (1923-2005)
Elizabeth Ann Kelly (1933-2009)

Siblings

Residences

References

^ Goldaper, Sam (March 4, 1985). "John B. Kelly Jr. Dead at 57; Olympic Committee Leader". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/04/sports/john-b-kelly-jr-dead-at-57-olympic-committee-leader.html.

Footnotes (including sources)

MainTour

[1] Goldaper, Sam (March 4, 1985). "John B. Kelly Jr. Dead at 57; Olympic Committee Leader". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/04/sports/john-b-kelly-jr-dead-at-57-olympic-committee-leader.html.

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John Brendan Kelly (1889-1960)

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