CARIBOU, Maine — Many people consider him to be the most talented basketball player ever to play for the Caribou Vikings, as well as one of Maine’s all-time best players. This month, he is being recognized for his achievements on the court by being inducted into two halls of fame.
Peter S. Kelley will be recognized Saturday, Aug. 8, 2015 in Worcester, Mass. as part of the induction class into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame. Two weekends later, on Aug. 23 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Kelley will be enshrined into the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame.
Kelley, who was born in Houlton and raised in Mars Hill until the end of his sixth-grade year, put together a brilliant three-year career with the Vikings, averaging 24 points per game as a freshman in 1955-56, 27 ppg as a sophomore in 1956-57 and 28 ppg as a junior in 1957-58. He made the Bangor Daily News All-State First Team during both his sophomore and junior campaigns and all was an all-tournament selection both seasons.
During that junior season, in his final home game, he pumped in 56 points against rival Presque Isle. He went on to set an Eastern Maine Tournament record with 84 points and 83 rebounds in the three games, leading the Vikings to the Class LL regional championship.
While at CHS, he was class president for three years, a National Honor Society member and the runner-up for governor at Dirigo Boys’ State.
Kelley decided to transfer and spent his senior season at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, N.H. setting numerous school records, most of which have still not been broken. They were for points in a season (461), points in a game (52), points per game average (30.7), most field goals in a game (17), most field goals in a season (176), most made free throws in a game (18), most made free throws in a season (109) and most rebounds in a season (308).
His four-year total for points as a high school athlete amassed 2,200, and this was before the advent of the three-point line.
Kelley went on to attend Harvard College and played three seasons for the Crimson. He made a seamless transition to playing at the collegiate level, as evidenced by his 22 ppg average as a freshman. He also led the team in rebounding that first year. He went on to earn All-Ivy League honors for two years.
Following his Harvard career, Kelley attended Boston College Law School for two years and spend his final year at American University Law School to be a legislative and press assistant to Congressman William Hathaway.
He went on to serve as an advance man for Edmund Muskie during the vice presidential campaign in 1968, was elected to the Maine House and the Maine Senate, and ran for governor in 1974, losing to George Mitchell.
Kelley is a partner in the law firm of Kelley & Leger Law Offices in Caribou and has practiced law in the city for 31 years, specializing in personal injury, Social Security and domestic relations law. He has been active in community and church affairs and professional organizations for many decades
He and his wife, Marcia, have four children — Christopher, Jason, Alexander and Lesley. He is an avid hiker, marathon runner, canoeist, cross country skier and world traveler. He and Marcia have traveled to six of the seven continents.
Kelley was elected into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and with the two upcoming honors is considered to be the only athlete from Aroostook County ever inducted into three major halls of fame.
At Saturday’s ceremony for the New England Basketball Hall of Fame, he is being inducted in the Scholar-Athlete category and is part of a class which also includes fellow Aroostook County standouts and father-daughter duo Steve Condon and Kim Condon-Lane, who both played at Presque Isle; legendary Mount Desert Island coach Bernard “Bunny” Parady, Thomas College/UM-Farmington coach Dick Meader, Husson University women’s coach Mary “Kissy” Walker and current Charlotte Bobcats coach and Maine native Steve Clifford.
Among those being inducted along with Kelley into the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame later this month are Steve Condon, Fort Fairfield native Keith Mahaney, Houlton native Peter A. Webb and former Ashland Community High School and University of Maine at Orono standout Liz Coffin.
