The Jersey Shore

By Michelle Bradford
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Kelley was a lanky bellhop with a flop of dark hair in the summer of 1959 when he met Joye Rouse on the Jersey Shore. Kelley, a native of Orange, N.J., had attended Villanova and Seton Hall universities but was eyeing out-of-state colleges when five UA coeds arrived on the shore for summer jobs. Love blossomed between Kelley and Rouse, a UA freshman, and Kelley soon began making trips to Fayetteville. He transferred to the UA in 1960, and the couple married the same year.

The former Ann Rainwater of Fayetteville was another one of the UA coeds who spent the summer with Joye in Asbury Park, N.J. In years to come, the Kelleys would socialize in political circles that included Ann and her husband, Dr. Morriss Henry, and other well-known Democrats: former President Bill and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton. "We all liked Gene right off the bat," remembers Ann Henry, a retired UA law professor. "He was so outgoing and positive. His hair was jet black then.

After that summer, he relocated down to Arkansas, and he and Joye married. They had their first baby her senior year. It was all pretty amazing." Later, Kelley got interested in politics and became influential in several campaigns. His ability to bring people together has translated well in his current occupation, Henry says. "He's been responsible for so many families through his commitment to adoption. He's a 'connector' that way. Gene connects people," she says.

As newlyweds, the Kelleys mingled with another young couple, Gaye Poynter and her husband, Terry, who was a law student at the UA. At that time, Kelley had an accounting degree, but jobs were scarce in Northwest Arkansas. "You could work in a dry goods store or sell appliances or cars," Kelley says. "I didn't view those as viable options. One night, after Joye and I attended a wedding, we spent the evening with Gaye and Terry Poynter. Terry and I talked for hours. He told me all about law school, and I asked a lot of questions. On the way home, I made a decision. I told Joye, 'I think becoming a lawyer is something I can do.'"