Terrel Bell
Terrel Howard Bell (born November 11, 1921 in Lava Hot Springs , Bannock County , Idaho , † June 22, 1996 in Salt Lake City ) was an American educator and politician who served as Secretary of Education of the United States under President Ronald Reagan .
Life and career
Terrel Bell, who lost his father when he was eight, graduated from Albion Normal School . He later served as a school superintendent in Idaho and Wyoming . During World War II , he served with the rank of sergeant in the marine infantry .
After returning to the United States, he earned a bachelor's degree from Southern Idaho College of Education in Albion in 1946 . He subsequently worked as a high school teacher and as a bus driver. In 1954 he graduated from the University of Idaho with a master's degree , and in 1961 a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Utah . From 1962 to 1963 he was a lecturer and director of the education faculty at Utah State University .
In 1970, Bell was appointed by US President Richard Nixon as deputy commissioner for school systems in the Office of Education , which at that time was still a subdivision of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare . After two years he was promoted to acting head of the agency before he was officially appointed to this post in 1974. In 1976, he joined the state government of Utah as Commissioner of Higher Education .
Minister under Reagan
After the Republican victory in the 1980 presidential election , Terrel Bell was the last minister appointed to the Reagan cabinet . Since Ronald Reagan had declared that he would abolish the Ministry of Education , which had only been established by his predecessor Jimmy Carter , it was expected that it would be Bell's main task to carry out this mandate. However, he tried to convince the president of the need for the authority.
Bell had an excellent reputation in educational circles and was recognized for his professional advancement from teacher to government member. As a man who came from a humble background, he held an exceptional position in the cabinet compared to his numerous wealthy colleagues. He had made his move from Utah to Washington behind the wheel of a delivery truck.
In 1981, Bell persuaded the President to set up a commission to study the quality of education. The resulting report, which appeared in 1983 under the title A Nation at Risk , gave the educational reform that it was aiming for the necessary impetus.
Since President Reagan continued to curtail its budget despite the ministry's successes, Terrel Bell submitted his resignation in January 1985. He returned to Utah, where he again worked as a professor at the University of Utah. In 1988 he published his memoir under the title The Thirteenth Man: A Reagan Cabinet Memoir .
Web links
- Terrel Bell in the Miller Center of Public Affairs of the University of Virginia (English)
- Terrel Bell in the database of Find a Grave (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Bell, Terrel |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Bell, Terrel Howard (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American educator, professor, and United States Secretary of Education (1980–1985) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 11, 1921 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lava Hot Springs , Idaho |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 22, 1996 |
| Place of death | Salt Lake City , Utah |