Dale Kelley Memorial Scholarship Established At Bethel

McKenzie, Tenn. – The Dale Kelley Memorial Scholarship is an endowed scholarship fund established to honor the memory of Dale Kelley and his contributions to Bethel University, Carroll County, and the State of Tennessee. Contributions to the scholarship fund will be invested, and each year, one recipient will be selected to receive the scholarship award.

Dale Kelley served as Athletic Director at Bethel University for ten years and had an immeasurable impact on Bethel, the City of Huntingdon, Carroll County, and the State of Tennessee. He served as Commissioner of Employment Security, was a member of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, and was a Senior Advisor and Special Assistant to Governor Bill Haslam. Dale served three terms in the Tennessee House of Representatives, nine years on the Huntingdon School Board, and was Mayor of Huntingdon for 30 years. Dale also served as Coordinator of Officials for the Big 12 Conference, Conference USA, the Sun Belt Conference, the Southland Conference, and the Ohio Valley Conference and was known as one of the best NCAA Officials in the history of the game. An accomplished baseball and basketball player, Dale was a member of the Bethel University Athletics Hall of Fame, the TSSAA Hall of Fame, the Carroll County Sports Hall of Fame, and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. He received the Bethel Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award and the Carroll Countian of the Year Award, was a Carroll County Silver Medallion Award winner, and was the recipient of Huntingdon’s Pinnacle of Excellence Award.

Bethel Senior Director of Athletics, Brad Chappell said, “ Student-athletes will benefit from this fund for as long as Bethel exists. My wish is that friends, colleagues, and admirers of Dale Kelley will want to donate to this endowment on a regular basis. He meant so much to so many and this is a way to make future student-athletes at Bethel aware of what can be accomplished with a Bethel degree. Dale Kelley took his degree from Bethel and achieved national prominence in his field while continuing to promote West Tennessee. I hope others will join me in donating to both keep Dale Kelley’s legacy at Bethel alive but also to build scholarship funds to athletes in perpetuity. “

You can give securely online at:

If you prefer to write a check, make it payable to Bethel University with “Dale Kelley Scholarship” in the memo line.

Mail to 325 Cherry Ave., McKenzie, TN 38201