Pat Kelly
Throughout her 54-year career in the House, Pat Kelly, daughter of former Representative Edna Kelly, assisted Members of Congress with their daily activities as a researcher, a legislative assistant, and eventually, the editor of the House Daily Digest.
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Biography
Maura Patricia (Pat) Kelly was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 5, 1934, daughter of Edward L. and Edna Flannery Kelly; she had one brother, William. Her family had long been active in Brooklyn politics. Her paternal grandfather, William Kelly, served as Postmaster of Brooklyn during the Woodrow Wilson administration and, later, as the Clerk of Kings County. Edward Kelly became a lawyer, served as a City Court Justice of New York City, and was active in Brooklyn Democratic politics as head of the Madison Democratic Club. Edna Kelly also was politically active and helped revive the women’s organization of the Madison Democratic Club, and would later work as a legislative researcher of the New York Assembly.
Pat Kelly was educated in parochial schools in Brooklyn and Manhattan. She attended Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, from 1951 to 1955, earning a bachelor of arts degree in political science and history.
After Edward’s death in a car accident in 1942, Edna Kelly became increasingly active in Brooklyn and New York state politics as a protégé of Irwin Steingut, the local political boss and minority leader in the New York Assembly. When New York Representative Andrew L. Somers died during the 81st Congress in 1949, Kings County leaders chose Edna Kelly as the Democratic nominee to run for the vacant seat. Kelly won the special election, beginning a 20-year career in which she became a leading member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a firm advocate for advancing women’s rights.
Pat Kelly arrived to work as a staffer on Capitol Hill in 1957, later recalling, “I just felt the urge to do something.” For a decade she was employed as a research analyst for the House Committee on Un-American Activities. She then worked as a legislative assistant in three Member offices: for her mother, during her final term from 1967 to 1969; for Michigan Representative Martha Griffiths, 1969 to 1975; and for freshman Representative Matthew McHugh of New York, 1975 to 1977. She then served as a legislative assistant for the House Committee on Rules, before joining the Clerk’s Office in 1979. For the next 32 years, Kelly edited the House Daily Digest in the Congressional Record— making her responsible for compiling information on committee meetings, subject matter, witnesses, and actions on legislation.
Pat Kelly was long active in the Congressional Staff Club during its heyday from the 1950s through 1970s. She served as an officer of the club, eventually becoming its president in 1976. For her work on behalf of the large and active staff community, Roll Call newspaper gave her its 1976 Staffer of the Year Award.
On March 1, 2011, when Pat Kelly retired with 54 years of service, House leaders celebrated her career on the floor and praised her for her devotion to the institution.Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, reflecting on Kelly’s role as longtime editor of the Daily Digest, “it’s clear Pat has not merely recorded the House history—she’s been a rich part of it, too.” Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California described Kelly as “a committed public servant, a woman of this House, a key thread in the fabric of the congressional staff.”
Pat Kelly died on February 3, 2021.
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Representative Edna Kelly's Congressional Start
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Martha Griffiths of Michigan and Leonor Sullivan of Missouri
The Congressional Staff Club
Tragic Days at the Capitol
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The Madison Club
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The Madison Club
Pat Kelly, Editor, Daily Digest, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives
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Representative Edna Kelly and the Foreign Affairs Committee
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Representative Edna Kelly and the Foreign Affairs Committee
Pat Kelly, Editor, Daily Digest, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives
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The Equal Rights Act Discharge Petition: Part One
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The Equal Rights Act Discharge Petition: Part One
Pat Kelly, Editor, Daily Digest, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives
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The Equal Rights Act Discharge Petition: Part Two
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The Equal Rights Act Discharge Petition: Part Two
Pat Kelly, Editor, Daily Digest, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives
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Generational Divides in the House
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Generational Divides in the House
Pat Kelly, Editor, Daily Digest, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives
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Images & Artifacts
Members of the Congressional Staff Club had the option to get a license plate for their cars. As president of the club, Kelly had the honor of having the "number one" plate.
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