Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2024
A longtime proponent of higher education and a loyal Panther supporter, Dr. James Kelly will be recognized as the 2024 winner of the Dr. Jitu Kothari Meritorious Service Award for his contributions in documenting and publishing the history of UNI Athletics.
An Estherville, Iowa native and 1984 doctoral graduate from the University of Nebraska, Kelly spent 45 years in education, including 40 years at UNI and at the Malcolm Price Laboratory School (also known as Northern University High School), where he helped develop individualized project-centered instructional materials in both chemistry and biology, providing an outlet for his innovative science curriculum. The latter half of his tenure at UNI was as the faculty coordinator of the Cedar Falls Student Teaching Center.
After retiring from teaching in 2009 and being named an Emeritus Professor of Teaching, Kelly, a passionate UNI sports fan, embarked on a years-long challenge that had not been attempted before; to document and publish a book based on the history of Panther Athletics. With the help of several former coaches, administrators and athletes, Kelly wrote "Tutors to Panthers: A Brief History of UNI Athletics" in 2012, summarizing Northern Iowa's athletic accomplishments and records from the early days of the university through 2011.
In 2017, Kelly published his second book on Panther Athletics entitled "Harwood Journey: A History of UNI Basketball," which highlighted the accolades of the Panther men's basketball program from the onset of the team in the late 1800s through the 2015-16 season. His third book focusing on UNI football, "Gridiron: The Story of Panther Football," was published in 2020. Kelly is currently at work researching and writing a fourth book on Panther Athletics, "Purple Jazz and Golden Moments." A longtime season ticket holder, Panther Scholarship Club (PSC) member and volunteer, all the financial benefits of his first three UNI Athletics books have gone to help the PSC.
Kelly was recognized for his contributions to the university in 2018 with an Honorary Alumni Award in 2018. Continuing to share his passion for teaching, he has also been responsible for organizing the Jean Kelly Early Childhood Student Teaching Award, an annual teaching scholarship being given to a UNI early childhood education student in honor of his late wife Jean. Kelly currently resides in Cedar Falls.
