Born in Princess Anne County, Virginia, Kellam read law to enter the bar in 1934.
[1] He was regarded by the local trial lawyers as the best prepared, most fair of the federal jurist in the Eastern District of Virginia.
His father, Abel Kellam, served as clerk of the Princess Anne Circuit Court for 20 years.
Sidney was a lieutenant in the Byrd Machine and his run for Governor was thwarted over controversy with the IRS.
[3][4] His son, Phillip Kellam was Commissioner of the Revenue for Virginia Beach for 12 years and later ran unsuccessfully for Congress.