The J. Edward Kelley Society / Keyser High School

In remembrance of Sgt. Ed Kelley, the J. Edward Kelley Society was established at Keyser High School in 1946.  The award is presented to an outstanding male student-athlete in each year’s senior class.  The Kelley award, an annually awarded scholarship, is available to Keyser students who played varsity basketball or football for a period of two years.  The Legion of Honor, established in 1984, recognizes distinguished alumni of Keyser High and those who are supporters of the school.

The J. Edward Kelley Society administers two awards available to people associated with Kelley’s alma mater, Keyser High School.  The Ed Kelley Award, established the year after Kelley’s death and awarded annually ever since, is a scholarship available to students who played varsity basketball or football at the school for at least two years. The Legion of Honor, established in 1984, recognizes graduates who distinguished themselves in their careers and others who have supported the school in some way.

S/Sgt. Jonah Edward Kelley was a member of the 311th Infantry of the U.S. Army 78th Lighting Division. Kelley was serving in Germany with his unit and was fighting a fierce battle to overtake the village of Kestemich. He led E Company in an intense and deadly attack in the village in a house-to-house campaign.

Kelley was wounded twice during an ambush and couldn’t use his left arm. He ordered his men to a position of relative safety and in the midst of fire was able to single-handedly bring the battle to a close. Kelley died in the process of saving his men; as a result, he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.