Background
Dean Maurice Kelley was born on June 1, 1926, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States. He was a son of Mark Millard Kelley and Irena Marie (Lancaster) Kelley.
2199 S University Blvd, Denver, CO 80208, United States
In 1946, Dean graduated from the University of Denver with Bachelor of Arts degree.
2323 E Iliff Ave, Denver, CO 80210, United States
In 1949, Kelley graduated from Iliff School of Theology, where he obtained Master of Theology degree.
116th St & Broadway, New York, NY 10027, United States
During the period from 1949 till 1950, Kelley was a postgraduate student of Columbia University.
Dean Maurice Kelley was born on June 1, 1926, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States. He was a son of Mark Millard Kelley and Irena Marie (Lancaster) Kelley.
In 1946, Dean graduated from the University of Denver with Bachelor of Arts degree. He continued his education at Iliff School of Theology, where he obtained Master of Theology degree in 1949. Also, during the period from 1949 till 1950, Kelley was a postgraduate student of Columbia University.
In 1946, Dean was ordained a minister in the United Methodist Church and served as pastor for several churches in Colorado and New York. In 1960, Kelley was appointed executive of religious and civil liberty at the National Council of Churches, a post he held till 1990. During that time, he also worked successfully in the realm of religious freedom.
In 1965, he played a key role in formulating church-state safeguards in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Two decades later, he was instrumental in passage of the Equal Access Act of 1984, which enabled public school students to form religious clubs, a measure, viewed as important for freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, in addition to freedom of religion.
After his retirement in 1990, Kelley remained active with the National Council of Churches, serving as counselor for court-related issues, involving church and state. At the time of his death, Kelley was writing a five-volume work, titled "The Law of Church and State in America".
Dean Maurice Kelley opposed a constitutional amendment, allowing organized prayer in public schools. Also, he believed, that churches shouldn't pay taxes.
Moreover, Kelley was one of the first and most persistent critics of deprogramming, the abusive and often violent practice of forcing someone to abandon his or her chosen beliefs, one, which has today fallen into disuse in the wake of numerous criminal convictions and civil court judgments against its proponents.
During his lifetime, Dean Kelley was a defender of the rights of people of all faiths. His courage and persistence made him a symbol of religious freedom itself.
Quotes from others about the person
"Mr. Kelley was a ''purist'', who believed, that unless you protect the liberty of the least respected among us, the religious freedom of the majority would ultimately be imperiled. It was a passion for him." — Joan Brown Campbell
Dean married Maryon Hoyle Kelley on June 9, 1946. Their marriage produced one child — Lenore Hoyle Kelley.