Francis E. Bell ’37
An ardent Princetonian from New Mexico and son of Harold Bell '11, Frank Bell died May 20, 2001, of cerebral ataxia. Recently his wife of 54 years, Nancy, had written: "He is unable to write letters anymore, in a wheelchair, but enjoys my reading parts of PAW to him, especially the class news." He is also survived by daughters Susan Bell and Katherine Bell Kloster, and two grandsons.
Frank edited the Summit [N.J.] H.S. yearbook and was active in student government. At Princeton he majored in international affairs, chaired the undergraduate dance committee and was a member of Cloister.
Frank entered the Navy in 1940. He survived the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, taking his destroyer to safety while under fire. His destroyer travels took in all of the Pacific, the Aleutians, and the Philippines, and he retired after five and a half years as a full commander with the Navy Commendation Ribbon. He and Nancy moved to New Mexico in 1951 where he joined the Sandia National Laboratory. In 1958 he began work at the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. He retired in 1981 and traveled extensively.
He actively recruited local high school students for Princeton and worked tirelessly to raise money for the $53-million special gifts committee.
The Class of 1937
Paw in print
November 2026
History is in Terri Sewell ’86’s hands; campus mental health culture; the two Princetons.
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Brent McClure
3 Days AgoUrgency Under Fire at Pearl Harbor
I ran across this summary about Frank Bell while reading up on the Pearl Harbor attack and thought I would share an anecdote. My wife lived across the street from Frank and Nancy Bell and we visited them often. At one point Frank told us of the fact that he was a ship commander and was at Pearl Harbor. He said that during the attack that they were in such a rush that he drove his ship out of the harbor while still only wearing his boxers! I think it’s a fascinating detail that conveys the urgency of the moment and I don’t think he would mind it being shared.