KC Profiles Volume

Robert A. Kelly

by Leighton Hollar
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Robert Anthony Kelly was born 0n February 22nd, 1956, in Kingston, Jamaica, at 12 Tewari Crescent in Whitfield Town where he lived until migration to the United States in June of 1973. He and his siblings attended Greenwich Primary School. Robert is the only one in his family to have attended Kingston College.

Robert chose KC because as a child he attended Manning Cup and Sunlight Games with his father and a friend, whose son, Fitzroy Dyer, captained the cricket team. Robert Kelly attended KC from 1967 to 1973. He believes that he did not seize any of the opportunities to distinguish himself while at KC. He was however, a member of the Sunlight Cricket Squad and the Table Tennis Squad. He played form football and threw shot putt for Nuthall. Robert also sang in the School's Choir and led the Cafeteria strike in 1971, when price for lunch increased and quantity and quality decreased. He was Head Boy for Form 4B and 5B.

Robert Kelly earned a B.A. in Government from Western New England College in May 1977. He attended John Jay College for Criminal Justice until January 1979 for a Masters in Public Administration, but did not complete his thesis, "The Changing Role and Structure of the Jamaican Civil Service," because he was unable to negotiate a reasonable contract with the Jamaican government to return home.

He joined Liberty Mutual in Boston, Massachusetts as an Underwriter in 1979 and from August 1979 until 1982 he attended the Western New England College School of Law, in Springfield, commuting from Boston, a distance of 90 miles, daily. His graduation thesis titled, "Immigration Law – A Tool of US Foreign Policy," earned him a J.D. in Law. After law school he worked as Affirmative Action Director for the City of Holyoke, Massachusetts until 1984 when he went into business for himself. He has remained self- employed since.

Robert's first link to KCOBA was through Foggy Burrowes, who in 1982 negotiated the loan of his prized book, "The Black Jocobin." Since his initial involvement with his alma mater, he has never slacked up on his obligation to KC, except for periods of ill health. He believes whole heartedly in the motto, "to whom much has been given, even more is expected" and longs for the day when KC old boys everywhere, will embrace that philosophy.

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