Clarence Deshong Bell (February 4, 1914 – July 26, 2002) was an American politician who served as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the Pennsylvania's 9th Senatorial district from 1960 until his death in 2002. He also served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1954 to 1959. Bell is the longest-serving state senator in Pennsylvania history.

Early life and education

Bell was born in Upland, Pennsylvania on February 4, 1914, to Samuel R. and Belle (Hanna) Bell. Bell graduated from Swarthmore College in 1935. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1938 and received a doctorate in law from Harvard Law School in 1970. Bell also studied at the US Army Command and General Staff College.

Personal life

Bell was a

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

in the

Pennsylvania National Guard The Pennsylvania National Guard is one of the oldest and largest National Guards in the United States Department of Defense. It traces its roots to 1747 when Benjamin Franklin established the Associators in Philadelphia. With more than 18,000 pe ...

and served during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Bell served for 38 years in the Army and reserves. Bell is interred at the

Chester Rural Cemetery Chester Rural Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery founded in March 1863 in Chester, Pennsylvania. Some of the first burials were Civil War soldiers, both Union and Confederate, who died at the government hospital located at the nearby building ...

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester i ...

Clarence D Bell Grave in Chester Rural Cemetery

References

External links

* official PA Senate profile (archived) 1914 births 2002 deaths 20th-century American politicians United States Army personnel of World War II Burials at Chester Rural Cemetery Harvard Law School alumni Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Republican Party Pennsylvania state senators People from Delaware County, Pennsylvania Swarthmore College alumni United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Military personnel from Pennsylvania {{Pennsylvania-PASenate-stub