Roger Demosthenes O'Kelly (October 25, 1880 – July 11, 1962) was a deaf, mute, partially-blind African-American lawyer. " 'Kellyclaimed the distinction of being the only Negro deaf lawyer in the United States and the second deaf person to graduate from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

in her history of over 250 years."

Biography

Roger O'Kelly was born on October 25, 1880, in

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

. O'Kelly became deaf due to Scarlet fever when he was 9 years old, and was "practically mute" as an adult, being able to "speak only to utter brief exclamations." He attended the North Carolina School for Colored Deaf and Blind. He first applied for admission at

Gallaudet University Gallaudet University ( ) is a private federally chartered university in Washington, D.C., for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing. It was founded in 1864 as a grammar school for both deaf and blind children. It was the first school ...

in 1898 but his admission was denied based on the color of his skin. He communicated with the hearing world through writing notes on pads, and eventually earned a degree from Shaw University. In 1908, he was licensed by the North Carolina Supreme Court. In 1912, he earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from Yale University. He eventually returned to Raleigh, North Carolina, and established a "lucrative" practice among the local African American community performing legal services relating to domestic relations, real estate, corporations, and abstracts of title. He succeeded as a lawyer while being deaf and living in a segregated state. Mr. O'Kelley was also blind in one eye from a football injury. O'Kelley remarked that he had "one good eye left and would make it anyhow." After he graduated at Yale University, he opened his own legal service firm called O'Kelly's Legal Bureau in Raleigh, North Carolina, as a legal specialist to provide his legal services for local business people in

Raleigh, NC Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

and Granite Quarry, NC. He married Goldie Weaver on February 25, 1920. They had no children. He died at age 82 on July 11, 1962, in

Georgetown, South Carolina Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, South Carolina, Georgetown County, in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Lowcountry. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census ...

References

Sources

* * * * Roger D. O'Kelly's registration card on September 12, 1918 - https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-25100-36572-98?cc=1968530 * {{DEFAULTSORT:OKelly, Roger Demosthenes 1880 births 1962 deaths Deaf lawyers American lawyers with disabilities 20th-century American lawyers Shaw University alumni Yale University alumni American deaf people Mute people 20th-century African-American lawyers