Caleb R. Kelly

Caleb Redgrave Kelly, Jr. was born in Baltimore in 1911, the eldest of two boys, both of whom loved sports. His brother, Donaldson, is also a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Caleb began playing lacrosse in his junior year at Friends' school and in that year he was the creaseman on the only unbeaten high school team in Maryland. In his senior year, he won varsity letters in football, basketball and lacrosse and again was part of a championship lacrosse team.

Entering Johns Hopkins University in 1929, Caleb participated in freshman football and became a member of the lacrosse team. He did not play regularly in lacrosse until his junior year, and then as a midfielder he played on the undefeated Hopkins team which represented the United States in the 1932 Olympic Games. This team won two out of three games played against Canada in Los Angeles, the first game played before 80,000 people. In 1932, Caleb was also captain of the Hopkins basketball team and president of his class. In his senior year, he played basketball and was again a midfielder on a championship Hopkins lacrosse team, and by the time of his graduation in 1933 he had won six varsity letters.

After attending Maryland Law School, he became a member of the Maryland Bar and practiced in Baltimore. Caleb helped organize the Baltimore Athletic Club lacrosse team in 1935. He played midfield and attack and also helped coach this team, which was important in the lacrosse scene in the late thirties, and which won the open championship in 1936.

In 1942, he entered the Army Air Corps as a private, graduated from OCS in Miami, and remained in the Air Force Reserve. In 1968, he was placed on the retired reserve list as lieutenant colonel.

Following the war, Caleb joined the local officials' association and officiated in the Baltimore area for 16 years. He was chairman of the Officials' Association for seven years, and in 1959, he completely recodified the lacrosse rules under the sponsorship of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association.

In 1948, he became coach of the newly formed University of Baltimore lacrosse team and during his years as coach, his teams were noted for strong extra man play.

In 1959, acting for the USILA and USLCA, Caleb helped organize the Lacrosse Hall of Fame Foundation. He acted as counsel for the Foundation from that date and was its executive secretary until 1968. In addition, he was recording secretary and treasurer for this nine-year period and was director of the Foundation at the time of its origin.

Caleb Kelly passed away in September 2006.