From humble beginnings in a Pennsylvania coal mining community, Harry C. Kelly went on to earn a Ph.D. in physics from MIT. After working in the private sector helping found the medical engineering firm Baird Associates, Dr. Kelly went on to teach physics at Montana State University followed by St. John’s College, where he taught the first physics classes there.

With the outbreak of World War II, Dr. Kelly returned to MIT, where he became part of the Radiation Laboratory (the “Rad Lab”), which played a key role in developing a practical radar system.  After the war, Kelly prepared to return to academic life, but instead was recruited as a science adviser during the Allied Occupation of Japan, where his job was to help distinguish between military equipment and civilian university research facilities in Japan. Due to his work during his time in Japan, Dr. Kelly is generally credited for having successfully championed the continuation of the Physical and Chemical Research Institute (Riken) in Tokyo that helped rebuild Japan’s post-war economy; an economy that went on to be one of the strongest in the world. 

Upon returning from Japan, Dr. Kelly went on to serve at the Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation, and as U.S. Chairman of the United States-Japan Committee on Scientific Cooperation, after which he accepted the position of Dean of Faculty and subsequently became NC State’s first Provost.

After his death, Japanese corporations and individuals raised funds in his memory to create the Harry C. Kelly Fund which is designated for use in fostering research and collaboration in science and technology fields between NC State and Japanese institutions. Undergraduate and graduate students, NC State Faculty, and visiting scholars engaged in research with NC State faculty in science and technology are eligible for funds to support their activities related to Japan.

⇒　NC State Undergraduate and Graduate Students |Apply Here|

⇒　Matching Grants Application for NC State Faculty |Apply Here|