Frederick Gerald Kelly
Kelly Acadia’s Winningest Coach
A native of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Fred Kelly graduated from St Dunstan’s College and played hockey for his home town Abegweits before coming to Acadia University in 1927 as hockey and football coach and to be an instructor in Terry Osborne’s Department of Physical Education. As noted in the Athenaeum of the day, “The College has been very fortunate in securing Fred Kelly as Coach on the permanent Staff of the University, and he has endeavoured to whip the material into good shape by putting the squad through a rigorous system of training.”
Kelly was a successful coach, guiding Acadia teams to many championships. During his 29 year tenure as rugby coach, Kelly coached many fine athletes, including Arnold Tedford and Neil Sanford who were on the 1931 Nova Scotia championship team, and James Beveridge and James Feindel who were on the 1937 Maritimes championship team. In 1938 he named his 1927-1937 All-Star Rugby Team. Kelly also coached hockey, and guided the Acadia players to Valley League, Nova Scotia intercollegiate and Maritime intercollegiate championships.
Acadia University dominated track and field in the Maritimes between 1928 and 1950. During the 1930s, Kelly-coached teams lost only one Maritime championship. Acadia’s track athletes won the annual meets with regularity, many athletes including Howie Ryan and Harvey Denton established new records. After Terry Osborne left Acadia University in 1940, Kelly was named Director of Physical Education at Acadia University and added swimming coach to his list of jobs. The swimming teams, too, captured championships during his tenure.
Kelly became commanding officer of the Acadia COTC in 1939 and in 1941, was promoted to major; he resigned from that position in 1947, but was known as “the major” ever after. He was involved with regional and provincial sports bodies, working to improve the quality of play and officiating in the various sports. Kelly retired in 1967. In 1975, he was granted an honorary degree from Acadia University, a school he had served for virtually his entire career.
(Acadia Athenaeum November 1927, 50; November 11 1938, 3)
