Emanuel Kelly FAIA, DAG Steering Committee member passed away on Friday
January 12.
An accomplished architect, planner, preservationist, professor, civic and professional
leader, he was also a loyal son, brother, husband, father, and grandfather. Kelly taught
for 26 years at Temple’s architecture program where he influenced the careers of over a
thousand young architecture graduates. In practice for 45 years, he participated in the
design of many noteworthy buildings in Philadelphia and the surrounding region
including the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the renovation of City Hall, and the
President’s House at Independence National Historical Park. He served as president of
AIA Philadelphia and Chairman of the Philadelphia Art Commission. At DAG he worked
tirelessly to plan his public conversation with Cherelle Parker in October and helped
lead the discussion that led to DAG’s position paper on an important project under Civic
Design Review.
Below are links to two great interviews with Kelly conducted in the summer of 2023 by
the University City Historical Society that start with his early years and continue into the
professional career.
University City Historical Society Oral History Project, Vol. 5, Emanuel Kelly, Part 1
University City Historical Society Oral History Project, Vol. 5, Emanuel Kelly, Part 2
See his obituary in the Philadelphia Inquirer HERE.
