 During the academic year 2009–10, Kelley held the Harmsworth Chair of American History at Oxford University, the first African-American historian to do so since the chair was established in 1922.He was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship in 2014.He is also the author of a definitive book on Thelonious Monk.Born in New York City, Kelley earned his Bachelor's degree from California State University, Long Beach, in 1983.