Henry C. Kelly Papers

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