69ý

Federal Explainer

Terrel H. Bell, Second U.S. Education Secretary: Biography and Achievements

By Education Week Library Staff — August 18, 2017 2 min read
President Ronald Reagan is flanked by Education Secretary Terrel Bell, left, White House Policy director, during a meeting in the Cabinet Room in Washington, Feb. 23, 1984 where they discussed school discipline.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Biographical Information: Bell was born Nov. 11, 1921, in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. Other than his stint in the Marines during World War II, he spent most of his life working in education. He began as a high school teacher and bus driver in Idaho and then served in multiple leadership roles before going to Washington to serve in the federal Office of Education, then part of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. In 1974, he served as the U.S. commissioner of education.

Bell wrote numerous books, including his memoir titled The Thirteenth Man: A Reagan Cabinet Memoir, published in 1988. It was criticized by his successor, William J. Bennett, who said there “should be a limit on how much someone kisses and tells.” But others appreciated the book’s candid insights into the education policy controversies of an administration that had pledged to abolish the new U.S. Department of Education. He died June 22, 1996.

Served Under: President Ronald Reagan

Dates of Tenure: 1981-1984

Fun Fact: The Terrel H. Bell Award for Outstanding Leadership is awarded each year to a small number of principals who demonstrate outstanding leadership.

Highlights of Tenure:

  • Initially appointed to oversee the abolition of the Education Department, Bell is often credited with saving it.
  • Bell oversaw the publication of the landmark report “A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform” in 1983, which argued for strong measures to end a “rising tide of mediocrity” in American schools.
  • Bell resigned his post in 1984, citing his family business, a pending lawsuit, and his Utah state pension as reasons for leaving.

Archives of Note:

The National Commission on Excellence in Education is uncovering evidence that corroborates widely held beliefs regarding declines in achievement among the nation’s students, according to Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell. (Sept. 22, 1982)

Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell told an audience of state education officials last month that he had won a two-year battle to establish a “moderate” federal role in education. (Apr. 6, 1983)

Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell ended months of speculation about his future by announcing last week that he would resign his post effective Dec. 31. President Reagan accepted his letter of resignation “with deep regret.” (Nov 14, 1984)

In a forthcoming memoir of his Reagan administration days, former Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell portrays himself as an embattled champion of education interests, fighting the conservative “true believers” and “White House ideologues” who sought to wipe out the federal presence in both education and civil-rights enforcement. (Oct. 28, 1987)

Terrel H. Bell served as U.S. secretary of education under President Ronald Reagan from 1981-85. (July 10, 1996)

    Additional Resources
    A brief biography from the alumni pages of the University of Utah’s College of Education
    A link to the Amazon listing of Bell’s memoir

    How to Cite This Article
    Education Week Library Staff. (2017, August 18). Terrel H. Bell, Second U.S. Education Secretary: Biography and Achievements. Education Week. Retrieved Month Day, Year from /policy-politics/terrell-h-bell-second-u-s-education-secretary-biography-and-acheivements/2017/08

    Events

    School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
    Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
    This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
    Sponsor
    School & District Management Webinar
    Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69ý
    Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
    Content provided by 
    School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?
    What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?

    EdWeek Top School Jobs

    Teacher Jobs
    Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
    Principal Jobs
    Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
    Administrator Jobs
    Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
    Support Staff Jobs
    Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

    Read Next

    Federal What a National School Choice Program Under President Trump Might Look Like
    School choice advocates—and detractors—see a second Trump term as the biggest opportunity in decades for choice at the federal level.
    8 min read
    President Donald Trump listens during a "National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America's 69ý," event in the East Room of the White House, on July 7, 2020, in Washington.
    President Donald Trump listens during a "National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America's 69ý," event in the East Room of the White House on July 7, 2020, in Washington. He returns to power with more momentum than ever behind policies that allow public dollars to pay for private school education.
    Alex Brandon/AP
    Federal Trump's Education Secretary Pick Is Linda McMahon, Former WWE CEO
    McMahon led the Small Business Administration in Trump's first term and is co-chair of the president-elect's transition team.
    6 min read
    Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon speaks during a news conference with President Donald Trump in Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., Friday, March 29, 2019.
    Then-SBA Administrator Linda McMahon speaks during a news conference with President Donald Trump at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., Friday, March 29, 2019. Trump has tapped McMahon to serve as education secretary in his second term.
    Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
    Federal What Could RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary Mean for School Vaccine Requirements?
    The vaccine skeptic in line to lead the mammoth federal agency could influence schools' vaccine rules, even though they're set by states.
    6 min read
    Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 in Walker, Mich.
    Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks before President-elect Donald Trump at a campaign event on Sept. 27, 2024 in Walker, Mich. Trump has selected Kennedy to serve as secretary of health and human services in his second term.
    Carlos Osorio/AP
    Federal Can Trump Force 69ý to Change Their Curricula?
    Trump's bid to take money from schools that teach "critical race theory" or pass policies for transgender kids raises legal complexities.
    9 min read
    Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks on crime and safety during a campaign event at the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Howell, Mich.
    Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks on crime and safety during a campaign event at the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Howell, Mich.
    Evan Vucci/AP