Chelsea High School - Beacon Yearbook (Chelsea, MA)

Page 12 text:

CLl dea Mr. J. W. Kennelly, who had been connected with the Chelsea school system as teacher, coach and administrator since September, 1925, made his home at 19 Howard st., Arlington, with his wife, the former Margaret A. Keeley. Mr. Kennelly was born in the town of North Bellingham, 64 years ago, the son of the late James and Julia (Sullivan) Kennelly. He had his early education in the schools of North Bellingham and attended Horace Mann High School in Franklin where he was an outstanding athlete and captained the baseball and basketball teams in his senior year. Following his graduation from high school he entered Exeter Academy for a year and the next year enrolled at Bates College in Lewiston, Me. The first World War interrupted his college career and he enlisted May 1, 1917 and was assigned to Kelly Field, Texas as a member of the Air Force. He later transferred to the infantry and served as a corps captain in the 29th Division. He saw active service at St. Mihiel and in the Argonne Forest. He served until Oct. 8, 1919. Upon his discharge from the service, Mr. Kennelly re-entered Bates College where he won high scholastic and athletic honors. He took part in football, base¬ ball and basketball and won eight letters for his prowess in athletics. He was president of the senior class at Bates and president of the Student Council. Following his graduation from college, he taught and coached at Uxbridge High School and Rockland High School, before coming to Chelsea High School in 1925 as a teacher-coach. Although he coached both baseball and football at Chelsea High School, he was better known throughout New England as a coach of basketball, which he directed for 16 years. During his career as a basketball coach at Chelsea High School, his teams played in the Tech tourney every year except 1931 and 1932. His best team was that of 1930, when the club won the Tech and New England tourneys and went on to Chicago to play in the National tournament. The Chelsea team lost its open¬ ing game to Tallahassee, Fla., but won its consolation game later in the tourney. 8

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The hands of the Chelsea Senior High School students reach in many different directions of learning. No matter in which field they endeavor, they are guided by the most capable hands of our fine teachers.

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mourns loss of our headmaster During his teaching career at Chelsea High School, he took special courses in education and administration at the University of Illinois, Bucknell College in Pennsylvania and took courses at the Sorbonne in Paris and as a member of the National Headmaster’s Association, attended many conferences in various parts of the country and took an active part in the deliberations. He received his master’s degree from Boston University in 1939. While at Chelsea High School he also continued his athletic career and played basketball for the Rockland Town Team and the Whitman American Legion quintet and played semi-pro baseball in Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Bill Kennelly gave up his coaching career early in 1942 and devoted his time to his duties as junior master and faculty director of athletics at Chelsea High School until his appointment as headmaster at the Carter School in 1945 to succeed the late William H. Crafts. In 1953 Mr. Kennelly was appointed headmaster of Chelsea High School, following the retirement of Robert R. Webber. He and Mrs. Kennelly made their home in Chelsea for more than 25 years and resided on the Revere Beach Parkway, near Webster ave. until the house was taken by the state to construct the present Expressway. Then they went to North Everett on Broadway and went to Arlington last September. Mr. Kennelly was a member of the Chelsea Park Commission for 24 years and was elected chairman in 1938, a position he held at the time of his death. He also served as chairman of the original Youth Commission until his election as a park commissioner. He was also past president of the Chelsea Rotary club, past exalted ruler of Chelsea Lodge of Elks, past president of the Sagamore Club, the Knights of Colum¬ bus; the American Legion and Our Lady of Grace Holy Name Society. He was the author of a series of articles on basketball which appeared in a well known sports publication and also served as president of the Eastern Massa¬ chusetts District Board of Approved Basketball Officials in 1933. He was also a member of the executive board of the Massachusetts State Coaches Board of Basket¬ ball Officials. 9