I was crushed to learn that Brother Kelly had passed away ("Brother James Kelly: President of Mount Saint Joseph High School had second-longest tenure at the Irvington School," Dec. 4). He was the President of St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Ky., when I was a student there in the 1990s, and I can truly testify that crossing paths with him changed my life forever.
I have often referred to Brother Kelly as the Last Great Educator, someone who was always a counter to the modern cynicism about the educational system. What is often lost in reports about bad test scores or salacious classroom stories is a man like Brother Kelly, who quietly changed the lives of countless young men at a pivotal point in their lives.
I am sure there are many other stories about inspiring educators out there, but his is the one I know, and I hope he is given the honor he deserves.
Nick Lawson, Los Angeles