Friends of Bishop McDevitt share ‘McDevitt Room’ dedication video, details of Danny Kelly’s (Class of 1966) basketball career

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January 22nd, 2024 | By Ryan Genova

The Friends of Bishop McDevitt recently released a video created by Gary Chilutti ’74 which features a recap of the formal opening of the McDevitt Room at the Knights of Columbus.

The dedication ceremony and blessing took place on December 9, 2023. The new room permanently displays the history of Bishop McDevitt High School which opened on December 9, 1958 and closed in June 2021.

The Friends of Bishop McDevitt will hold a grand opening event on Saturday February 24, 2024 at the Knights of Columbus for alumni and friends of Bishop McDevitt to see the room. 

Screenshot from the video

Check out the video here.

In related news, the group also shared that on January 19, 1966, senior Danny Kelly was named the Catholic League Player of the Week by the Markward Basketball Club. The 58-year-old honor was presented during a ceremony at the Penn Sheraton Motor Inn.

According to Friends of Bishop McDevitt, the Glenside native is considered one of the greatest basketball players in McDevitt history. He led the Lancers in scoring in the 1965 and 1966 (23 points per game, highest average in school history) seasons and was named First Team All-Catholic in 1966.

Kelly went on to play for Saint Joseph’s University where he scored 1524 career points and was named First Team All-Big Five twice.

Danny Kelly, courtesy of SJU

He was inducted into the Big Five Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Saint Joseph University Hall of Fame in 2011. From Saint Joseph’s biography of Kelly:

Prolific scorer who was the Hawks’ second-leading career scorer at the time of his graduation… Now ranks 15th on the all-time list with 1,524 points… Paired with fellow Hall of Fame inductee Mike Hauer to become one of the top duos in Hawk history… Averaged 19 points in his career with a high of 20.7 as a senior… Scored 38 points in a game versus Seton Hall, which is one of the best performances in SJU history… Two-time All-Big 5 honoree… Selected to the All-Middle Atlantic Conference Team for three consecutive seasons… Named to the Academic All-America Third Team in 1970… Shared the Hawks’ Most Valuable Player award with Mike Hauer in 1969 and 1970… Honored with enshrinement into the Saint Joseph’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980… Originally from Glenside, Pa.

For more on Friends of Bishop McDevitt, you can visit their Facebook page.

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