Dale R. Kelley Center to be Dedicated Thursday

Huntingdon City Hall, 19810 E Main St, Huntingdon, Tenn. will be formally named “Dale R. Kelley Center” on Thursday, October 19, 2023. The dedication ceremony is after the 5:15 p.m. council meeting. This date was chosen in honor of former Mayor Kelley’s birthday.

The dedication ceremony includes brief comments from Mayor Nina Smothers and a prayer of blessing offered by Dr. Walter Butler, President of Bethel University and longtime friend of the Kelley family. The public is invited to attend.

Mayor Dale Kelley, State Representative Dale Kelley, County Commissioner Dale Kelley, County Assessor Dale Kelley, Commissioner of Transportation Dale Kelley, Commissioner of Labor Dale Kelley,  Bethel University Director of Athletics Dale Kelley, friend, Christian, father of three, grandparent, mentor, positive thinker - all words and titles to describe Dale Kelley.

Mayor Kelley began his career in government service as Carroll County Assessor of Property for four years and then later served as a Carroll County commissioner for five years. He served three terms in the Tennessee House of Representatives. Mayor Kelley served under three Tennessee governors: Commissioner of Employment Security and Commissioner of Transportation under Governor Lamar Alexander, a member of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission under Governor Don Sundquist, and Senior Advisor and Special Assistant to Governor Bill Haslam.

It was Kelley’s brainchild to a develop a lake in Carroll County for economic development and recreation. In 1984, he took it to legislature and the Beaver Creek Watershed Authority (subsequently amended as Carroll County Watershed Authority) was born. He worked tirelessly from 1984 until present day on the creation and development of the Carroll County Thousand Acre Recreational Lake. He also served on the Carroll County Watershed Authority Board as secretary/treasurer. He was the mayor of Huntingdon at the time of his death, a role he held for 30 years. He was past president of the West Tenn. Mayor’s Association. He served on the Tenn. Municipal League Board of Directors, Tenn. Municipal League Risk Management Pool Board, and Tenn. Municipal Bond Fund Board. He was recognized as the 2008 Tommie Goodwin Mayor of the Year Award for the State of Tennessee presented by the Tennessee Municipal League. 

The Kelley Sports Complex was completed and named for him in 1998. He led the vision and development of The Dixie Carter Performing Arts and Academic Enrichment Center, home of the Hal Holbrook Theatre. 

Mayor Kelley was also an accomplished athlete as a basketball and baseball player at Bethel College. He was an on-court basketball official for SEC, OVC, SunBelt, SWC, and Metro conferences, where he worked nine consecutive NCAA tournaments. He was selected to officiate three NCAA Final Four competitions. He was also coordinator of officials for the Big 12 Conference, Conference USA, Sun Belt Conference, Southland Conference, and Ohio Valley Conference. Mayor Kelley served as director of athletics for Bethel University from 2012 – 2022. He was a member of the Bethel Athletics Hall of Fame, the TSSAA Hall of Fame, the Carroll County Sports Hall of Fame, and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. He served on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.