Colonel Jacquelin Kelly was more than a softball coach at St. Thomas University.
She blazed the trail for women seeking the same opportunity as men to compete in sports and be successful in life after college.
Kelly died from cancer in 2014, but her name will be forever etched in the annals of St. Thomas University’s athletic program, and school officials gave her the ultimate gift – dedicating the Bobcat Softball Complex in her name.
In 1960, Kelly joined the army and was stationed in the Middle East and the Far East working in military intelligence. Kelly, who received her bachelors from St. Elizabeth College, served in the army for 21 years, 12 of them at the Pentagon, where she was the highest ranking woman at that time, having achieved the rank of Colonel.
In the mid-1980s, Kelly moved to South Florida where she continued her education by pursuing a master’s in sports administration at STU and graduated in 1987 at the age of 56, In total, she earned four master’s degrees, including one in Chinese.
“This generous donation to our athletics department not only allows us to upgrade our facilities, but also gives us the opportunity to honor an amazing female, a champion of character,” said Laura Courtley-Todd, STU director of athletics. “Jacquelin was a phenomenal role model, and will remain so through the naming of the softball complex.”