Tom Kelly (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Thomas E. Kelly was an America
n engineer
and professional basketball
player.
, on March 5, 1924 to Edward Thomas Kelly, an Alderman
for the City of New York, and Anastasia Ceciiia Kane. In 1929, his family moved to St. Francis Xavier Parish in the Bronx.
His natural academic abilities earned him a scholarship to the private, Jesuit school, Regis High School (New York City)
. He was a 1941 graduate of Regis where he first trod the hardwoods under the tutelage of the legendary Regis coach, Don Kennedy. He is the only Regis graduate to have played professional basketball.
as an Aviation Cadet. He was trained in the United States Army Air Corps
as a B-17 flying officer and commissioned a Second Lieutenant Pilot in 1944, assigned to the 486th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
, 833rd Bomber Squadron of the 3rd Division of the U.S. Eighth Air Force
, stationed in Sudbury, Suffolk
, England. Lt. Kelly flew twenty-nine combat missions over Germany
, winning five battle stars and the air medal with oak leaf clusters.
degree at the uptown campus (in the Bronx
) of New York University
. under the G.I. Bill of Rights
. He graduated in three years and was elected to Tau Beta Pi
, the national honorary scholastic fraternity
in the College of Engineering, the engineering school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa.
While at N.Y.U., his love of basketball equaled his thirst for education and as a "walk on" the 22-year old bomber pilot veteran made the varsity team at N.Y.U. which featured all-time N.Y.U. and N.B.A. greats, Dolph Schayes
, Ray Lumpp
, Sid Tannenbaum
and Frank Mangiapane, among other talented players. At NYU Kelly was All-Metropolitan basketball forward of a team that reached the National Invitation Tournament
(NIT) final game in 1948. In 1991, Tom was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame at N.Y.U
In 1947, Tom married Irene McGuire, also a Bronx native, at Our Lady's Chapel in St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
. Irene predeceased him.
in the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and farmed out to the Hartford Hurricanes
in their American Basketball League
. After leading the league in scoring, he was recalled to the Celtics and was high scorer in the Celtics victory over the Fort Wayne Pistons, and tagged by the Boston
sports media as a contender for “Rookie
of the Year.”
, and Westchester County.
In 1954, Tom Kelly moved his young family to Syosset, Long Island. In Syosset, he served as Vice President and then President of the fledgling Board of Education for Central School District No. 2. As Board president, Tom was instrumental in the building of Syosset High School
, the first modern centrally air conditioned high school
to open on Long Island.
Career advancement with The Trane Company relocated his family to Schenectady, New York
, in 1958. Yet barely a year later, Tom Kelly returned to the tri-state area when he assumed management of the New York Office of The Trane Company. He and his first wife, Irene, raised six sons and four daughters in their home on Shippan Point
, Stamford, Connecticut
. Tom Kelly retired to Santa Barbara, California
, in 1993.
Tom is survived by his wife, Joanie, and six sons and four daughters John of New York City, Jed of New Rochelle, Thomas of New Canaan, CT, Christopher of Stamford, Ct.,Matthew of Nyack, NY, Kirk of Lakewood, NY, Ann of Milford, CT, Irene of New City, NY, Stacy of New York City, and Deirdre Shaffer of Stamford, CT; and fourteen granddaughters, eleven grandsons, and three great grandchildren. He is also survived by a step son, Jon Williamson of Los Angeles
, a step daughter, Lizbeth Williams of Los Angeles, and a step grandson.
Over the course of his active life, Tom was an avid golfer, sailor and tennis player. He was a member of the Birnam Wood Golf Club, the Stamford Yacht Club
and the New York Athletic Club.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player.
Early life
Kelly was born Thomas Edward Kelly at The Flower Hospital, at Fifth and 106th street, New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, on March 5, 1924 to Edward Thomas Kelly, an Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
for the City of New York, and Anastasia Ceciiia Kane. In 1929, his family moved to St. Francis Xavier Parish in the Bronx.
His natural academic abilities earned him a scholarship to the private, Jesuit school, Regis High School (New York City)
Regis High School (New York City)
Regis High School is a private Jesuit university-preparatory school for academically gifted Roman Catholic young men located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Annual class enrollment is limited to approximately 135 male students from the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut tri-state area...
. He was a 1941 graduate of Regis where he first trod the hardwoods under the tutelage of the legendary Regis coach, Don Kennedy. He is the only Regis graduate to have played professional basketball.
Military career
In 1942, at age 18, Kelly was sworn into the United States Army Air ForcesUnited States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
as an Aviation Cadet. He was trained in the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
as a B-17 flying officer and commissioned a Second Lieutenant Pilot in 1944, assigned to the 486th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
486th Air Expeditionary Wing
The 486th Air Expeditionary Wing is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command. As a provisional unit, it may be activated or inactivated at any time....
, 833rd Bomber Squadron of the 3rd Division of the U.S. Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
, stationed in Sudbury, Suffolk
Sudbury, Suffolk
Sudbury is a small, ancient market town in the county of Suffolk, England, on the River Stour, from Colchester and from London.-Early history:...
, England. Lt. Kelly flew twenty-nine combat missions over Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, winning five battle stars and the air medal with oak leaf clusters.
Post War College Career
At the conclusion of his tour of duty, Tom Kelly pursued an engineeringEngineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
degree at the uptown campus (in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
) of New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. under the G.I. Bill of Rights
G.I. Bill of Rights
The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 , known informally as the G.I. Bill, was an omnibus law that provided college or vocational education for returning World War II veterans as well as one year of unemployment compensation...
. He graduated in three years and was elected to Tau Beta Pi
Tau Beta Pi
The Tau Beta Pi Association is the oldest engineering honor society in the United States and the second oldest collegiate honor society in America. It honors engineering students who have shown a history of academic achievement as well as a commitment to personal and professional integrity...
, the national honorary scholastic fraternity
Fraternity
A fraternity is a brotherhood, though the term usually connotes a distinct or formal organization. An organization referred to as a fraternity may be a:*Secret society*Chivalric order*Benefit society*Friendly society*Social club*Trade union...
in the College of Engineering, the engineering school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa.
While at N.Y.U., his love of basketball equaled his thirst for education and as a "walk on" the 22-year old bomber pilot veteran made the varsity team at N.Y.U. which featured all-time N.Y.U. and N.B.A. greats, Dolph Schayes
Dolph Schayes
Adolph "Dolph" Schayes is a retired American professional basketball player and coach in the NBA. A top scorer and rebounder, he was a member of the 1955 NBA champion Syracuse Nationals and a 12-time All-Star....
, Ray Lumpp
Ray Lumpp
Raymond "Ray" George Lumpp is a retired American basketball player. He competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics.He was part of the American men's basketball team, which won the gold medal....
, Sid Tannenbaum
Sid Tannenbaum
Sidney Tannenbaum was an American basketball player.-Biography:A 6' 0" guard/forward, Tannenbaum played college basketball at New York University, where he was a two-time All-American and two-time Haggerty Award winner. He also won the 1947 Bar Kochba Award, which honored him as the best Jewish...
and Frank Mangiapane, among other talented players. At NYU Kelly was All-Metropolitan basketball forward of a team that reached the National Invitation Tournament
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
(NIT) final game in 1948. In 1991, Tom was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame at N.Y.U
In 1947, Tom married Irene McGuire, also a Bronx native, at Our Lady's Chapel in St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
The Cathedral of St. Patrick is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States...
. Irene predeceased him.
Professional Basketball Career
After graduation from the N.Y.U. College of Engineering in 1948, Tom Kelly postponed his career in engineering when he was drafted by the Boston CelticsBoston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
in the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and farmed out to the Hartford Hurricanes
Hartford Hurricanes
The Hartford Hurricanes were an American basketball team based in Hartford, Connecticut that was a member of the American Basketball League.The team was previously known as the Elizabeth Braves who moved to Hartford during the 1947/48 season on December 19, 1947.-Year-by-year:...
in their American Basketball League
American Basketball League
American Basketball League is a name that has been used by three defunct basketball leagues in the United States:*American Basketball League , the first major professional basketball league...
. After leading the league in scoring, he was recalled to the Celtics and was high scorer in the Celtics victory over the Fort Wayne Pistons, and tagged by the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
sports media as a contender for “Rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
of the Year.”
Engineering Career & Private Life
After the birth of his third child, Kelly hung up the sneakers and spent the next four decades building a successful business in commercial heating, ventilating and air conditioning sales in New York City, Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, and Westchester County.
In 1954, Tom Kelly moved his young family to Syosset, Long Island. In Syosset, he served as Vice President and then President of the fledgling Board of Education for Central School District No. 2. As Board president, Tom was instrumental in the building of Syosset High School
Syosset High School
Syosset High School, located on Southwoods Road in Syosset, New York, USA is the only high school for residents of the Syosset Central School District.- Overview :The school was named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 1992–1993...
, the first modern centrally air conditioned high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
to open on Long Island.
Career advancement with The Trane Company relocated his family to Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
, in 1958. Yet barely a year later, Tom Kelly returned to the tri-state area when he assumed management of the New York Office of The Trane Company. He and his first wife, Irene, raised six sons and four daughters in their home on Shippan Point
Shippan Point
Shippan Point is the southernmost neighborhood in Stamford, Connecticut, located on a peninsula in Long Island Sound. Street names such as Ocean Drive West and Lighthouse Way reflect the neighborhood's shoreline location....
, Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
. Tom Kelly retired to Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, in 1993.
Tom is survived by his wife, Joanie, and six sons and four daughters John of New York City, Jed of New Rochelle, Thomas of New Canaan, CT, Christopher of Stamford, Ct.,Matthew of Nyack, NY, Kirk of Lakewood, NY, Ann of Milford, CT, Irene of New City, NY, Stacy of New York City, and Deirdre Shaffer of Stamford, CT; and fourteen granddaughters, eleven grandsons, and three great grandchildren. He is also survived by a step son, Jon Williamson of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, a step daughter, Lizbeth Williams of Los Angeles, and a step grandson.
Over the course of his active life, Tom was an avid golfer, sailor and tennis player. He was a member of the Birnam Wood Golf Club, the Stamford Yacht Club
Stamford Yacht Club
The Stamford Yacht Club is located in Stamford, Connecticut and was founded in 1890 at the home of William Lottimer.The first race sailed at the club took place in August of 1893. According to Yachts and Yachtsman of America, the race was open to sloops and cutters, 36 to 43 feet long...
and the New York Athletic Club.
External links
- http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/kellyto01.html
- 486th Bomber Squadron with picture of Tom in crew
- NY Knicks Fan Page with early NBA history
- Boston Celtics: Where Have You Gone?
- Basketball Historian