Alvin Bell

Alvin Euclid "Pep" Bell (October 1, 1901 – June, 1968)^[1] was an American football and basketball player, who later was a football official for 36 years.

Early years

Alvin Bell was born October 1, 1901 in Little Rock, Arkansas to William Euclid Bell and Josephine Kirst.^[2]

Playing years

Bell won 14 letters at Little Rock High School.^[3] He set a then record with 8 touchdowns in a game in 1919.^[4] Bell went to Vanderbilt University. His best sport was basketball, where he was selected All-Southern.^[3] Bell was a starter the first time Vanderbilt met Tennessee in basketball in 1922.^[5] He was said to have "played a hard floor game and started most of Vanderbilt's rallies." Bell also was captain for the 1923-24 team coached by Josh Cody and featuring Lynn Bomar and Gil Reese.^[6] That team was beaten in the Southern Conference tournament in the quarterfinals by the eventual champion, Jack Cobb and Cartwright Carmichael led North Carolina, 37–20.^[7] On the football team he was the backup quarterback to Doc Kuhn. At Vanderbilt, Bell was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.^[8]

Official

Bell worked mainly in the Southwest Conference and Southeastern Conference, being referee-in-chief of both.^[8] He officiated in four Sugar Bowl games, three Cotton Bowl games, one Orange Bowl, and eight Blue-Gray Games; and the 1936 U.S. Olympic basketball trials.^[3][8] Bell was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame posthumously in 1978.^[3]

References