Henry C. Kelly Papers - TCU Library - Texas Christian University

Henry C. Kelly Papers (MS 105) - 4
Biographical Sketch
Henry C. (Jim) Kelly is a New England native. He was born and raised in Rhode Island
and received his Bachelor of Science degree from Bates College, Lewiston, Maine. He
worked as an analytical and research chemist for 6 years at Metal Hydrides, Inc. Beverly,
Massachusetts during which time he also took several courses in the Evening Graduate
School of Northeastern University in Boston. He left industry in 1958 to enter Brown
University where he received the PhD degree in 1961 and stayed for a one year
appointment as Instructor in' Chemistry. After returning to industry for two years, he
accepted appointment to the chemistry faculty at TCU where he served from 1964 to his
retirement in 1998.
At TCU, Kelly developed and taught an Honors course in freshman chemistry as well as
courses in Inorganic Chemistry, Chemical Kinetics, and Special Topics at the advanced
undergraduate and graduate levels. His research has been focused on the kinetics and
mechanism of selected chemical reactions many of which have involved boron-hydrogen
compounds. Central to this has been the direction of research of graduate students
working toward masters (MS) and doctoral (PhD) degrees, as well as that of a number of
post doctoral fellows and several undergraduate chemistry majors.
Some high points in his career were derived from sabbatical leaves of absence. The first,
in 1973, at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, resulted in many
subsequent years of collaborative research in model enzyme chemistry, a joint NATO
grant, and student exchange at the undergraduate and post doctoral levels. Later
sabbaticals at the University of Kent, Canterbury, England, and Mount Alison University,
Sackville, Canada, were devoted to studies of the inclusion of small molecules and ions
into cyclodextrin (carbohydrate ring) compounds. He has received many research grants,
has numerous publications, and is the author of a patent for the preparation of high purity
silicon. He has presented seminars and participated in conferences both nationally and
internationally. Jim has also had other recognition and was honored by being named TCU
Honors Professor in 1975.
During the early 1990s, Jim became a member of a group involved in faculty-student
exchange at the Universidad de las Americas (UDLA) in Puebla, Mexico and, in 1993,
taught a brief summer course at UDLA on subjects related to research interests. This led,
in part, to two UDLA undergraduates coming to TCU for graduate study in chemistry.
In addition to an active research and teaching career, Kelly was also involved in
university and other professional service. Several examples include chairing the Science
Division of Add Ran College, serving as member and, later, chair of the Faculty Senate,
and as a member and chair of the Honors Council. In 1994, he chaired the Southwest
Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society held in Fort Worth. He served as
Director of the TCU Honors Program from 1981 to 1988 and as Department Chair in
Chemistry from 1989 to 1995. In 1998 he became Professor Emeritus.
- Jim Kelly