Elam, Robert Kilby
Title
Elam, Robert Kilby
Last Name
Elam
First and Middle Name
Robert Kilby
Biographical Text
Robert Kilby Elam (“Kilby” or “Uncle Bill”) was born on October 28th, 1894 in Suffolk County, Nansemond, Virginia to the parents of Hilary Edward Elam and Lilian Lee Kilby Elam. He attended VPI (Virginia Tech), according to The Bugle (annual), Robert was a private in Company E. In 1917 and participated in multiple clubs: Planter’s club, Class Football, and Ending’s Hell Cats. Robert graduated VPI with a major in Agriculture and in the same year trained at First Fort Myer Camp in Arlington, Virginia. He was then drafted and served in the Infantry. After the war, Robert married Lillian Rose Rankin in 1920 and together had two children, Robert K. Elam and Elizabeth C. Elam. He was drafted again in 1942, for WWII, ending his military career as a Second Lieutenant. Robert worked in the Real Estate business as a Rent Solicitor in Richmond, Virginia. He died in Richmond, Virginia due to a heart attack on November 15th, 1985 and was buried at the Mt. Calvary Cemetery.
Nicknames or Other Names
"Kilby" & "Uncle Bill"
Hometown
Nansemond, Virginia
County and/or State
Suffolk County
Birth Date
October 28th, 1894
Birthplace
Suffolk, VA
Death Date
November 15th, 1985
4:45 AM
4:45 AM
Cause of Death
Heart Attack
Place of Death
Richmond, VA - The Windsor
Buried - Mt. Calvary Cemetery
Buried - Mt. Calvary Cemetery
Parents
Father - Hilary Edward Elam
Mother - Lilian (Lelian) Lee Kilby
Mother - Lilian (Lelian) Lee Kilby
Siblings
N/A
Spouse(s)
Lillian Rose Rankin
Married - December 7th, 1920
Age 26
Married - December 7th, 1920
Age 26
Children
Robert K. Elam (son)
Elizabeth C. Elam (daughter)
Elizabeth C. Elam (daughter)
VPI Graduating Class
1917
Undergraduate Major
Agriculture
Graduated
Yes
Service Branch
Reserve Officers
Unit
Infantry
Retired Rank
Second Lieutenant
Military Events
1913-1914 VPI rank - Private, Company E
Training May 1917 - First Fort Myer Camp
Drafted for WWII in 1942
Training May 1917 - First Fort Myer Camp
Drafted for WWII in 1942
Decorations or Citations
N/A
Battles or Engagements
N/A
Postwar Life
Returned home to Nansemond, VA until moving to Richmond, VA
Occupation
Rent solicitor in Richmond, VA for Pollard & Bagby Inc. (Real Estate)
1927 "Virginia Polytehnic Institute in the World War" booklet
Yes
Page 116 & 155
Page 116 & 155
Additional Notes
Participation in School Activities & Clubs - Planters Club, Class Football (1916), Anding's Hell Cats
Files
Collection
Citation
“Elam, Robert Kilby,” VPI in World War I, accessed November 21, 2024, https://vpiworldwarone.lib.vt.edu/items/show/108.
Comments (if you have information about a veteran or would like to talk about a veteran, also email the project director Daniel Newcomb at danieln1@vt.edu with your information or question)