[From the United Mine Workers Journal of December 1, 1957]

Representative Augustine B. Kelley, 74

Representative Augustine B. Kelley, Democrat, of Pennsylvania, one of the UMWA's best friends on Capitol Hill, died of cancer on November 20 in Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, Md. He was 74. Representative KELLEY, a coal operator, represented Pennsylvania's 21^st Congressional District (Westmoreland County) near Pittsburgh. He was serving his ninth term in the House of Representatives at the time of his death.

In a telegram to his widow, Mrs. Augustine B. Kelley, of Chevy Chase, Md., the resident international officers of the UMWA - President John L. Lewis, Vice President Thomas Kennedy and Secretary-Treasurer John Owens - said:

"We have just learned of the untimely passing of your distinguished husband, with whom we had the pleasure of associating frequently down through the years. As a result of our many dealings with Congressman KELLEY, we could not help but recognize his tremendous traits of honesty, integrity, capability, and dependability. Unquestionably he contributed his illustrious talents at all times to serve his country and fellow man. His record as a Congressman brought about much beneficial legislation for the well-being of the people of our country, and recognition of his outstanding ability can best be ascertained by the important committee posts he held plus the fact that he served as an adviser at several International Labor Organization conferences. We fully realize what a terrific experience this shock has been to you and the members of your family, and on behalf of the United Mine Workers of America, wherein your husband enjoyed outstanding friendship, we express our sincere condolence in your hour of grief."

Representative KELLEY had a virtually 100-percent perfect voting record in favor of legislation of interest to the UMWA and organized labor in general. He will be remembered by UMWA members principally for the valiant fight he carried on for mine safety legislation, a fight that ended finally in victory in 1952 with the passage of the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act - the first Federal mine-safety law with "teeth" in it. Mr. KELLEY and former Representative Samuel K. McConnell, Jr., Republican, Pennsylvania, were the leaders for their respective political parties in this successful battle.

A liberal northern Democrat, Mr. KELLEY had been I the vanguard of many Capitol Hill battles in behalf of legislation to benefit working people. In the last session of Congress he and Representative Cleveland M. Bailey, Democrat, of West Virginia, spark-plugged the hard-fought battle for effective Federal-aid-to-education legislation which was scuttled by the White House.

Mr. KELLEY was the No. 2 Democrat on the important House Committee on Education and Labor. He also served on the Joint Economic Committee, which annually reviews the President's budget and economic report to the Nation.

A resident of Greensburg, Pa., Mr. KELLEY was owner and president of the Mammoth Coal & Coke Co.

During his 17 years in the House he always was active in behalf of liberal labor legislation. Five times since the end of World War II Presidents Truman and Eisenhower had selected him as House delegate to the ILO, a tripartite agency of the United Nations.

Recently he had headed a House subcommittee studying legislation to increase the Federal minimum wage.

Mr. KELLEY always had been actively opposed to the Taft-Hartley law.

He led the 1945 investigation of the distribution of artificial limbs among amputees. His subcommittee had the Justice Department conduct an investigation that led to several convictions in the industry for violation of antitrust laws. Mr. KELLEY also was active in behalf of a federally operated, nationwide employment service after World War II.

Mr. KELLEY attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., for 2 years and took an active interest in Army athletics and West Point activities. He had to resign from the Academy because of a heart murmur. He was a member of the Board of Visitors for the Academy in 1955 and 1956.

Mr. KELLEY, known as "Gus" to his multitude of friends, was a quiet man with a keen sense of humor. He was frequently aroused to bitter criticism of the Eisenhower administration and of such conservatives as the late Senator Robert A. Taft.

Born in New Baltimore, Somerset County, Pa., on July 9, 1883, Mr. KELLEY was a small child when his family moved to Greensburg. His formal education began there at St. Benedict's grade school where each of his own 9 children later were to attend.

Mr. KELLEY was the oldest of 9 children. In his boyhood he assisted his parents financially by selling newspapers in Greensburg. He was a graduate and football letterman of Greensburg High School.

Forty years after having to leave West Point - a bitter disappointment - Mr. KELLEY received a measure of consolation when he attended graduation ceremonies at West Point for the class that included his son, Paul. Five of his six sons were in the armed services during World War II, the youngest son being too young for military duty at the time.

Mr. KELLEY began his business career in 1905 as a clerk with the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. He later worked in a similar capacity with the H. C. Frick Coke Co. and became the firm's youngest superintendent. Later he was associated with the Hillman Coal and Coke Co. and after that operated his own mining properties.

Mr. KELLEY married Ellen Marie Bates of Scottsdale, Pa., in 1913. He had always been active in community affairs. He was an organizer of the Greensburg St. Vincent de Paul Society, a trustee of Seton Hill College and, for a time, a member of the Greensburg Board of Education.

Mr. KELLEY, after leaving West Point, studied engineering and business administration through correspondence school courses. He was an avid reader and was regarded as a leading authority on the Civil War.

The Pennsylvania Representative belonged to the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, the American Mining Congress, the Pittsburgh Athletic Association, the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the John Carroll Society.

In addition to Mrs. Kelley, he is survived by 6 sons and 3 daughters. He also is survived by 36 grandchildren and 2 sisters and 5 brothers.

A solemn Mass of requiem was offered November 23 in the Cathedral of the Most Holy Sacrament in Greensburg. The body was returned to Washington for another requiem Mass November 25 at the Church of the Little Flower. Burial was in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.

Representative Kelley Was Guest of 1952 Convention

The late Representative Augustine B. KELLEY was a guest of honor at the 1952 International Convention of the UMWA in Cincinnati. Introduced by Vice President Thomas Kennedy, Mr. KELLEY, in a few remarks, summed up the type of liberal, prolabor thinking that was his trademark in Congress.

He blasted reactionaries in Government and told briefly, of his part in getting Federal mine safety legislation passed even though he said it was impossible to get as good a bill through Congress as he had hoped.

In honor of the Congressman, President John L. Lewis said in part: "He contributed his full strength and influence to the enactment of the kind of (mine safety) bill which the United Mine Workers of America hoped for. Day and night he and his associates worked during those long months. He knows coal mines and he understands coal mines and Augustine KELLEY is a great deal of a man in his own right aside from being a Member of Congress. He believes in rendering service to the people. He stands for the welfare of all Americans and the future of America will be assured and its grandeur will continue to grow as long as we can have public servants of the high type and sterling character of Congressman KELLEY."