Holy Cross
Magazine welcomes letters regarding the magazine's content.
Letters intended for publication must be signed and may be
edited for style, length and clarity. Opinions expressed in the letters section
do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration or the editorial
staff.
 Upon my return
from this year's Reunion, my 40th, I had the opportunity to read the Spring 2000
edition of Holy Cross Magazine, including the article entitled, "Holy
Cross Athletics Timeline," which chronicled the important events in the history
of Holy Cross athletics from inception to present. I was very disappointed and
dismayed to find that there was no specific mention in this piece of the achievements
of my father, Andrew B. Kelly '17. I can fully appreciate the difficulty in gathering
content for such an article, and realize, that due to space limitations, there
were, no doubt, many who deserved recognition but did not make the cut. However,
that being
said, I find the omission of my father's accomplishments an oversight that should
not be ignored.
My father attended Holy Cross from 1914 to 1917 and was a member of the track
and field team, being its captain during the 1916-1917 season. During his distinguished
collegiate career, he, as a sprinter, demonstrated his world-class speed at various
distances ranging from 60 to 300 yards as well as being an integral part of many
relay team victories. This all occurred at a time when races were timed
in fifths of a second and (outdoor) races
were run on cinder tracks. While his successes were numerous, some of the
most noteworthy among them can be summarized as follows:
a) On March 18, 1916 he became the National Amateur
Athletic Union (NAAU) Indoor Champion in the 300-yard dash
with a time of 32 2/5 seconds. During a trial heat for
this event, he equaled the world record of 32 1/5 seconds
(without spikes);
b) On March 17, 1917 he retained his title as the NAAU
300-yard Indoor Champion and, in doing so, set a world
record for the distance of 31 2/5 seconds, 4/5 of a second
better than the previous standard. He was also clocked
in this same record-setting time in a trial heat;
c) On March 20, 1916, he became the New England Inter-Collegiate
Athletic Association Champion in both the 100- and 220-yard
dash with times of 9 4/5 and 21 2/5 seconds respectively
during the finals, which established a new meet record
for each distance. These standards stood for over 40 years
before being broken. What made these same day, record-setting
performances all the more remarkable was the fact that
they were run within 40 minutes of each other, and at a
time when he was bothered by a recurring ligament injury.
In addition, during the trials of the previous day, he
established the (then) record for the 220-yard dash with
a time of 21 3/5 seconds (old record 22 seconds) and equaled
the 100- yard standard of 10 seconds;
d) On March 4, 1916 he became the New England Amateur
Athletic Union Indoor Champion in the 60-yard dash with
a time of 6 3/5 seconds;
e) On Jan. 27, 1917, at the Coast Artillery Corps Games,
he was a member of the relay team, who, along with Tom
Mahoney, Jack Dunphy and Tony Doyle, set the indoor world
record for the 1280-yard relay in the time of 2 minutes
28 2/5 seconds, a record that had stood for 13 years;
f) On Jan. 21, 1956, Andy Kelly was one of the initial
six athletes inducted into the Holy Cross Hall of Fame.
This fact appears in the subject article next to this date
but as a last-name-only reference to those so honored.
It should be mentioned that three of these six inductees,
Bob Cousy '50, Dr. William Osmanski '39 and Louis Sokalexis '97
(1897), were among those, in an accompanying article, who
appeared on the list of the Top 10 performers of all time;
and,
g) Beginning in the early 1980s an annual road race
has been run at the Reunion which bears his name.
It certainly is not for me to judge where my father should
be placed in the annals of Holy Cross athletics, but I can
say that he competed with success against the top sprinters
of his time and in his prime was considered one of the best,
if not the best, in the country. If it had not been for
the war, he would have been considered a serious contender
for the 100- and
220-yard dashes in the 1916 Olympics.
An
excerpt from the 1917 Purple Patcher conveyed an insight as to who Andy
Kelly was when it stated, "Perhaps the greatest cause of his popularity is his
very modesty, for no one would guess from his demeanor that he is the first national
champion and world's record holder who ever breasted
the tape for the H.C."
Andrew J. Kelly '60
Larchmont, N.Y.
I just want to give you a small update. I received
a good number of phone calls and notes concerning the publication
of my letter in the summer
issue of the magazine. I am happy to report that all of them were tremendously
inspiring and supportive. This was especially touching since some of them were
from complete strangers. Clearly, there is a true and enduring Holy Cross community.
Thank you for your help and support!
Judi Ford '80
Pound Ridge, N.Y.
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