Terrel H. Bell, 74, U.S. Secretary of Education under former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, died June 22, 1996, in Salt Lake City.
Brother Bell, a long-time advocate of national school reform, served in the Cabinet from 1981 to 1985. Previously, he was U.S. deputy commissioner of education and U.S. commissioner of education under Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford.While Secretary of Education, he initiated the study by the National Commission on Excellence in Education, which concluded in the 1983 landmark report, "A Nation at Risk, The Imperative for Education Reform." The report is credited with having made education a primary issue for the Reagan administration.
In the Church, Brother Bell served on the Sunday School general board and as a regional representative and stake president.
He began his career in education administration at age 25 as superintendent of schools in Rockland, Idaho. Later he was superintendent of schools in Afton, Wyo., Ogden and Salt Lake City, Utah.
He served as chairman of the Department of Educational Administration at Utah State University and as professor of educational administration at the University of Utah. He was also Utah superintendent of public instruction and Utah commissioner of higher education.
After his retirement from public service, he worked on numerous educational, corporate and community service boards and was awarded 44 honorary doctorate degrees.
