Home › Ottawa High School Hall of Fame › 2007
2007 inductee · Alumni · Class of 1913
Harry Kelly
World War I veteran who served two terms as Governor of Michigan.
From the Hall of Fame plaque
Class of 1913 Harry Kelly was a drummer in the OTHS orchestra and played baseball. He graduated from law school at the University of Notre Dame in 1917 and immediately enlisted in the Army. He was seriously wounded in France during World War I and lost a leg. He was awarded the highest tribute paid by the people of France, the Croix deGuerre. Back in Ottawa, he assumed the training of the Ottawa Cadet Corps, serving in that role from 1919 to 1926. During that period, he was elected the LaSalle County State’s Attorney. He then joined his father in the Detroit, Michigan area and began practicing law. Harry Kelly was elected Secretary of State in Michigan in 1939 and later elected Governor of Michigan in 1941. He served two terms as Governor until 1947. He was elected to the Michigan Supreme Court in 1954 and remained on the high bench until 1971. Harry Kelly passed away in 1972.