 He was the longest serving state attorney general in United States history, until Tom Miller of Iowa surpassed his longevity record in 2019.After receiving undergraduate and law degrees (1951) from the University of Detroit, Kelley became a lawyer in private practice in Alpena, Michigan, and later received an appointment as Alpena city attorney.Kelley was appointed as Attorney General in 1961 by Governor John Swainson to fill a vacancy left when Paul L. Adams became a Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.