kˈɛl wʌz bˈɔːɹn ˌɔn dʒˈuːn sˈɛvən, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹ, ɪn kˈɛl, ˌɪlənˈɔɪ, ænd ɹᵻsˈiːvd hɪz bˈiː.ˈɛs. dᵻɡɹˈiː ɪn ᵻlˈɛktɹɪkəl ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹɪŋ fɹʌmðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv ˌɪlənˈɔɪ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti sˈɪks.
Kell was born on June 7, 1904, in Kell, Illinois, and received his B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois in 1926.