Kimmel was born in Henderson, Kentucky, on February 26,1882, to Sibella "Sibbie" Lambert Kimmel and Major Manning Marius Kimmel (1832--1916), a veteran of Confederate States Army duty during the American Civil War.
Kimmel was born in Henderson, Kentucky, on February 26,1882, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1904. His father, Major Manning Marius Kimmel (1832--1916), served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.