Thomas Cowan Bell
{{Short description|American educator and fraternity founder}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Thomas Cowan Bell
| image = Thomas Cowan Bell, founder of Sigma Chi.png
| birth_date = May 14, 1832
| birth_place = Bellbrook, Ohio, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1919|2|3|1832|5|14}}
| death_place = Oakley, California, U.S.
| burial_place = San Francisco National Cemetery
| education = Miami University
| occupation = College president, educator, and publisher
| known_for = Founding Sigma Chi
}}
Thomas Cowan Bell (May 14, 1832 – February 3, 1919) was an American college president, educator, newspaper publisher, and Civil War veteran.[https://sigmachi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Norman-Shield-49th-Edition.pdf The Norman Shield 2021-2023 (49th ed.)]. Sigma Chi Fraternity. 2021. p. 56-57.{{Cite news |date=1919-02-05 |title=Major Bell, Civi War Veteran and Educator, Dies |pages=9 |work=San Francisco Chronicle |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/san-francisco-chronicle-major-bell-civi/129238367/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |via=Newspapers.com}} He is best known for being one of the founders of Sigma Chi fraternity.{{citation |last=Levere |first=William Collin |title=Leading Greeks: an encyclopedia of the workers in the American college fraternities and sororities |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nFdDAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA30 |page=30 |year=1915 |contribution=BELL, Thomas C. |location=Evanston, Illinois}}. via Google Books{{Cite news |date=1919-02-04 |title=Major Thomas C. Bell, Civil War Veteran, Dies |pages=5 |work=The Sacramento Bee |location=Sacramento, California |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-major-thomas-c-bell/129237919/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |via=Newspapers.com}}
Early life
File:Thomas_Cowan_Bell,_Civil_War.png
Thomas Cowan Bell was born May 14, 1832, in Bellbrook, Ohio.{{Cite web |last=Runkle |first=Benjamin Piatt |date=May 1896 |title=Thomas Cowan Bell |url=http://history.sigmachi.org/founders/bell |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129040518/http://history.sigmachi.org/founders/bell |archive-date=January 29, 2019 |access-date=July 31, 2023 |website=Sigma Chi |publisher=Sigma Chi Historical Initiative |quote=The Sigma Chi Quarterly, Vol. XV, No. 3, pp. 237-241}} He grew up on a farm and his primary school education was in log schoolhouses.
He attended Miami University in the fall of 1854. Bell and six other students founded the Sigma Chi fraternity on June 25, 1855.{{Cite news |date=1919-02-05 |title=Thomas C. Bell Dies |pages=1 |work=The Pantagraph |location=Bloomington, Illinois |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pantagraph-thomas-c-bell-dies/129238202/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |via=Newspapers.com}} At the age of 23, he was considered to be an "elder statesman" of the fraternity.
While a student at Miami, Bell lived in the Oxford, Ohio home of his Aunt Lizzie Davis. Because all of the other members of the fraternity at one time or another lived in Aunt Lizzie's place or took meals there, her house became known as "the first Chapter house of Sigma Chi."{{citation |title=Thomas Cowan Bell, 1857 |date=August 1919 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SePOAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA16 |journal=Miami University Bulletin |volume=XVII |issue=12 |pages=16–17 |url-status= |location=Oxford |publisher=Miami University}}. via Google Books She eventually allowed all seven members to move into her house and hired two cooks from Cincinnati to accommodate the men.
At Miami University, Bell was also a member of the Eccritian literary society and was considered "one of the principle orators of the university". He delivered the commencement speech when he graduated with an A.B. in 1857. He received an A.M. from Miami University in 1859.
With the start of the Civil War in 1861, Bell enlisted as a private in the 74th Ohio Infantry of the United States Army; he was a lieutenant colonel in less than a year. He received a high commendation for leading the regiment's bayonet charge at the Battle of Stone River.{{citation |last1=Senate |first1=United States. Congress |title=Senate documents, otherwise publ. as Public documents and Executive documents: 14th Congress, 1st session-48th congress, 2nd session, and special session |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KIsFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA158 |pages=158–159 |year=1863 |contribution=Letter from Colonel Granville Moody}}. He served in the military through 1863, retiring with the rank of major.
Career
After college, Bell became a teacher. Following the Civil War he returned to education, serving as the superintendent of school system in Nobles County, Minnesota, from 1872 to 1877. He was the County Record or Deeds and became the editor and publisher of the newspaper, Journal, in Worthington, Minnesota from 1878 to 1885.
From 1885 to 1886, he was the president of Philomath College in Oregon. Next, he was the principal of La Creole Academy in Dallas, Oregon from 1887 to 1892. He was president of Central Oregon State Normal School in Drain, Oregon from 1892 to 1896. He retired from teaching in 1896.
Personal life
Bell was married to Sigourney White of Oxford in 1857. He married his second wife, Lucia Chase, in 1866. He had five boys and two girls between the two marriages. He was the Oregon adjunct for the Grand Army of the Republic.{{Cite news |date=1919-02-05 |title=Benton Educator Dies in Oakland |pages=1 |work=Corvallis Gazette-Times |location=Corvallis, Oregon |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/corvallis-gazette-times-benton-educator/129238587/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |via=Newspapers.com}} After he retired, Bell retired to Oakland, California.
Late in life, he renewed his connection to the Sigma Chi fraternity. Bell attended Sigma Chi's semi-centennial celebration in Oxford, Ohio in 1905.{{Cite news |date=1905-06-09 |title=Sigma Chis' Semi-Centennial |pages=10 |work=Boston Evening Transcript |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/boston-evening-transcript-sigma-chis-se/129238826/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |via=Newspapers.com}} He was also involved with the Alpha Beta chapter at the University of California at Berkeley.
He died in his home in Oakland on February 3, 1919, the day after attending an initiation ceremony of the Alpha Beta chapter. He was 87 years old. He is buried at the San Francisco National Cemetery, located in the Presidio of San Francisco.
His son, Donald J. Bell, was initiated into Sigma Chi in June 1930.{{Cite news |date=1930-06-29 |title=Jubille is Closed By Chapters; Six Hundred Sigma Chi Members at Celebrations |pages=23 |work=The Cincinnati Enquirer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-enquirer-jubille-is-close/129239277/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |via=Newspapers.com}}
Honors
- In 1905, Sigma Chi presented Bell with a souvenir medal as an expression of its "love and gratitude" at the fraternity's semi-centennial celebration.{{citation |author=Society of the Sigma Chi |title=The semi-centennial celebration of the Sigma Chi fraternity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ci8UAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA77 |pages=77–78 |year=1905 |publisher=the Grand Council}}. via Google Books.
- In 1933, Sigma Chi erected and dedicated a Founders' Memorial Monument in the San Francisco National Cemetery where Bell is buried.{{Cite book |url=https://sigmachi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Norman-Shield-49th-Edition.pdf |title=The Norman Shield 2021-2023 |publisher=Sigma Chi Fraternity |year=2021 |edition=49th |pages=42 |language=en |via=}}{{Cite news |date=1933-10-29 |title=Fraternity Head Visits Utah Units |pages=10 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salt-lake-tribune-fraternity-head-vi/129239111/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |via=Newspapers.com}}
- Bell is the namesake of the Thomas Cowan Bell Scholastic Foundation, located in San Jose, California, which awards college scholarships to both members of the Sigma Chi fraternity and students of San Jose State University{{Cite web |title=Thomas Cowan Bell Scholastic Foundation |url=http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/94-6124108/thomas-cowan-bell-scholastic-foundation.aspx |access-date=October 9, 2015 |website=GuideStar}}
- Bell is the namesake of the Thomas Cowan Bell Sigma Chi Scholarship for both members and non-members of Sigma Chi at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.{{Cite web |title=Thomas Cowan Bell Scholarship |url=http://www.unlsigmachi.com/scholarship.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181228230803/http://unlsigmachi.com/scholarship.asp |archive-date=December 28, 2018 |access-date=October 10, 2015 |website=Sigma Chi Fraternity Alpha Epsilon Chapter at University of Nebraska Lincoln}}
- The Thomas Cowan Bell Teaching Award is presented annually by the Ohio State chapter of Sigma Chi.{{Cite news |date=1982-06-23 |title=Campus Corner |pages=6 |work=The Tribune |location=Coshocton, Ohio |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune/61160352/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |via=Newspapers.com}}
- Sigma Chi chapters with the most active alumni donors are given the name of "Bell Chapters" in honor of Thomas Cowan Bell.{{Cite web |date=February 4, 2013 |title=Sigma Chi Foundation Announces Thomas Cowan Bell Chapters |url=http://sigmachi.org/news/sigma-chi-foundation-announces-thomas-cowan-bell-chapters |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160628093147/http://sigmachi.org/news/sigma-chi-foundation-announces-thomas-cowan-bell-chapters |archive-date=June 28, 2016 |access-date=October 10, 2015 |website=Sigma Chi Fraternity}}
References
{{Portal|Biography}}
{{Sigma Chi}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Thomas Cowan}}
Category:People from Bellbrook, Ohio
Category:Miami University alumni
Category:People from Nobles County, Minnesota
Category:People from Oakland, California
Category:19th-century American educators
Category:19th-century American newspaper publishers (people)
Category:American newspaper editors
Category:American newspaper publishers (people)