[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12836]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE LIFE AND DEDICATED SERVICE OF DR. REED BELL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 31, 2013

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
life and dedicated service of Northwest Florida's Dr. Reed Bell, who 
passed away on July 28, 2013. Dr. Bell's mission was to better the 
lives of children, and still today, his name is synonymous with 
pediatric health. The entire Northwest Florida community mourns the 
loss of this talented, kind-hearted man.
  Dr. Bell was born on December 24, 1926 at Sacred Heart Hospital in 
Pensacola, Florida. Growing up, he attended Pensacola High School, 
where he was a model scholar-athlete. He was the captain of both the 
football and basketball teams, elected king of the high school's 
coronation, and graduated as Salutatorian. Dr. Bell then took his 
athletic talents to the University of Florida, where he was awarded a 
football scholarship. However, shortly thereafter, he answered the call 
of his Nation by serving in World War II. When he returned home, Dr. 
Bell opted to attend the University of the South, where he further 
applied his natural leadership abilities by again captaining both the 
basketball and football teams.
  Despite his athletic successes, Dr. Bell was destined to serve his 
community through his knowledge of medicine and his love of children. 
He graduated from Duke's College of Medicine in 1953 and performed his 
residency in pediatrics and fellowship in endocrinology at Baylor 
University in 1957. Returning to his native Pensacola, Dr. Bell began 
practicing as a board-certified pediatrician and pediatric 
endocrinologist. In 1969, however, Dr. Bell founded the Sacred Heart 
Children's Hospital, the only facility of its kind in the area. To 
support this great endeavor, founded at the hospital where he himself 
was born over forty years prior, he served as the Medical Director, 
formed a pediatric residency program, and established a neonatal 
intensive care unit to better serve the children of our community. In a 
further testament to his strength as a leader and his humanitarian 
nature, Dr. Bell also co-founded the Ronald McDonald House of Northwest 
Florida.
  Dr. Bell's exceptional abilities were not localized to Northwest 
Florida alone. In 1986, then-President Ronald Reagan appointed him as 
the founding Director of the National Institute of Health Office of 
Substance Abuse Prevention, the federal government's first substance 
abuse prevention program. This appointment marked another example of 
Dr. Bell's exceptional ability to lead and help his fellow man. It 
would be exhausting to list the many awards and accolades he received 
throughout his career, which further represents his tremendous strength 
of character. However, these pale in comparison to his sheer love of 
family, service, and community.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged 
to honor the life of Dr. Reed Bell. My wife Vicki and I offer our 
prayers and sincerest condolences to his wife, Nell; six children, Rev. 
William R. Bell, Jr.; Mitzi Peters; Terry Bush; Former Florida Supreme 
Court Justice Kenneth Bell; Lance Bell; and Brian Bell; 20 
grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren. He will truly be missed by 
all who were fortunate enough to know him.

                          ____________________