Olympic Gold Medalist. Born Earl Allen Kelley, he was a part of the 1960 United States basketball team that won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. He played basketball collegiately at the University of Kansas from 1951 to 1954 and part of the 1953 Jayhawks team that lost in the NCAA finals to Indiana. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Hawks in the 1954 NBA draft, but spurned their offers. Instead he played AAU ball until 1960 for the Peoria Caterpillars, the powerhouse in AAU basketball at that time, and helped them win several national championships. He was chosen to play for the United States in the 1960 Summer Olympics and helped the team win the gold medal that year. Later he, along with the rest of the Olympic team, was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame. He was a long-time employee of Caterpillar Tractor which had sponsored the teams that he had played for earlier. His brother Dean Kelley was a member of the 1952 Olympic team. In 2013 he was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Olympic Gold Medalist. Born Earl Allen Kelley, he was a part of the 1960 United States basketball team that won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. He played basketball collegiately at the University of Kansas from 1951 to 1954 and part of the 1953 Jayhawks team that lost in the NCAA finals to Indiana. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Hawks in the 1954 NBA draft, but spurned their offers. Instead he played AAU ball until 1960 for the Peoria Caterpillars, the powerhouse in AAU basketball at that time, and helped them win several national championships. He was chosen to play for the United States in the 1960 Summer Olympics and helped the team win the gold medal that year. Later he, along with the rest of the Olympic team, was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame. He was a long-time employee of Caterpillar Tractor which had sponsored the teams that he had played for earlier. His brother Dean Kelley was a member of the 1952 Olympic team. In 2013 he was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Bio by: Mr. Badger Hawkeye
Family Members
Advertisement
