Ted L. Kelce was born in Pittsburg, Kansas, the birthplace of surface mining for coal. His father actually started in the business using mules and a slip scraper. Like his brothers, Ted Kelce left high school to work in the mines and help support the family. Like his brothers, Ted spent his entire career helping build Sinclair Coal Company into a powerful company that, after merging with Peabody Coal, became the nation’s largest coal producer.
Ted Kelce was a “coal miner’s coal miner.” In 1920, at the age of 19, he started as a brakeman. Before moving to the ranks of management, he operated coal-loading shovels, stripping shovels, and other equipment in several different mines. He learned the business from the bottom up and was always proud of his hands-on experience.
As Sinclair Coal grew, Ted Kelce assumed increasing responsibilities, moving through the ranks as Assistant Superintendent, Mine Superintendent, General Superintendent, and Vice President of Operations. Ted was popular with the miners because he spoke their language. He maintained rapport with his associates throughout his career.
In 1951, Ted Kelce moved from operations to sales as Executive Vice President of the Southern Coal Company, which was Sinclair’s principal marketing agent. From this position, he became “Mr. Outside” for the company, as he managed an aggressive group of marketers that were required to sell the ever-increasing amount of coal that Sinclair was producing — a real challenge during a period of oversupply.
In 1955, Sinclair was merged with Peabody Coal Company, and Ted was appointed Senior Vice President of Sales. Following this assignment, he became Executive Vice President of the company. Ted was instrumental in the development of larger shovels, draglines, haulage trucks, and other advanced equipment that Peabody introduced into the industry. In 1964, he became President and Chief Executive Officer of the company.
Like his brothers, Ted Kelce started at the bottom and reached the pinnacle of his profession. Though occupying high office, he never lost his warm and friendly human touch with people. He was a great storyteller and loved to entertain listeners with anecdotes from the early days of the company. More often than not these stories were about Sinclair’s band of hardworking, loyal, mining pioneers from Kansas and Oklahoma. These men formed the cadre to staff the mines in other states as Sinclair grew.
Ted’s sons, Bill and Lee, followed him into the coal business by joining Peabody. Bill became the head of the Alabama Coal Association. Ted’s wife, Maba, who resides in St. Louis, was a much loved and well-known matriarch in the coal industry.
