Margaret Majer

Margaret Majer Kelly (born Margaret Katherine Majer; December 13, 1898 – January 6, 1990) was an American instructor of physical education for women and first coach of women's teams at the University of Pennsylvania. She was the wife of John B. Kelly Sr., three-time Olympic Gold Medal winner in rowing, and mother of Grace Kelly, actress and Princess Consort of Monaco, and of John B. Kelly Jr., an accomplished rower. She was the maternal grandmother of Albert II, Prince of Monaco. Early life and education Margaret Katherine Majer was born on December 13, 1898, the daughter of German immigrants Margaretha Berg and Carl Majer. She and her two siblings grew up in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood of Philadelphia. She attended William Penn High School for Girls with the great-grandmother of the Fine Brothers, and in 1917 was class president. Academic career After graduating with a B.A. from Temple University in 1921, Majer succeeded Ethel Loring as instructor in Physical Education for Women at the University of Pennsylvania's College for Women. She led the undergraduate women in athletic pursuits at the Kingsessing facility used as a gymnasium by the University's female students. While teaching at the University, Majer became the first coach of women's athletic teams at the University, organizing and training a women's basketball team and scheduling the first intercollegiate competitions for women. The women's basketball team played eight opponents in its first year, including Bryn Mawr College, Drexel University, and Temple University. Teams in gymnastics, softball, swimming, and tennis were planned for the next year.