DR. CECIL HORACE BELL, JR. ~ Class of 1953
February 3, 1935 - July 13, 2009





Cecil was born in Nashville, TN to parents Geneva and Cecil Bell. In the fourth grade, he and his family moved to Richland where he graduated from Columbia High School in 1953.

He then attended the University of Puget Sound, where he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and graduated in 1957 with a degree in Biology. He was granted a Rockefeller Brothers Theological scholarship and attended Boston University Theological School for one year. While at BU, he explored other disciplines and realized psychology was his field. He earned his master's degree in General Psychology at Boston University in 1960.

Afterward, he enrolled in US Air Force Officer Training School. Upon completion, he was assigned to the Office of Special Investigations, working in counter-intelligence and criminal investigation activities. He was then assigned to the Pentagon and later transferred to Morocco, North Africa.

After an honorable discharge from the Air Force, he achieved his PhD in Social Psychology and Personality Theory at Boston University.

He married Dianne in 1968, and has lived in Federal Way, WA ever since. He taught for 30 years at the University of Washington Graduate School of Business, Department of Management and Organization. He is the author of numerous publications and the co-author of a well-known book in his field of study, Organization Development: Behavioral Science Interventions for Organization Improvement.

Cecil was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer the first of June and passed away with his wife at his side. A private funeral was held Saturday, July 18, 2009 at Hill Funeral Home in Puyallup.

In lieu of flowers, a fund has been created in the memory of Cecil H. Bell, Jr. at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to support the work for earlier diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Cecil is loved and missed for many reasons, including his devotion to family, his pursuit of academic excellence, and his support of friends, students and colleagues in their pursuit of success.

He is survived by his wife Dianne Bell, sister Betty Bell Norton ('51), brother John Bell ('57), and six nieces and nephews.