John Kell Houssels Jr. was born in Denver, Colorado on December 11, 1922. His family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada when he was eight years old, and his father recieved one of Nevada's first gambling licenses. John Kell, also known as Ike, would follow in his father's footsteps and go on to help Las Vegas gain fame as an entertainment destination. After serving in the military and finishing his undergraduate education at West Point Military Academy in 1945, he went to law school at Stanford. After finishing his schooling, he returned to Las Vegas.