The James F. Kelley records contain personal papers, records of Seton Hall College, and both personal and business photographs.

The Seton Hall College records include correspondence relating to College business, meeting minutes from various committees, statistics of enrollment, departmental information, the expansion of the Seton Hall community, financial documentation, and athletic updates.

Msgr. Kelley's personal papers include correspondence and drafts for his memoir. There are some materials from Msgr. Kelley's college years at the University of Louvain continuing to his presidency at Seton Hall College, and concluding with his years at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Ridgewood, NJ. In addition, there are items once belonging to Msgr. Kelley including a pair of eyeglasses and a rolodex.

Finally there are personal photographs of Msgr. Kelley and his family, as well as numerous photographs of Msgr. Kelley at Seton Hall events, many after his retirement.