Clarence E. Bell, a former Arkansas state senator known as “Mr. Education,” died of congestive heart failure April 29. The 85-year-old had also been diagnosed with lung cancer two years ago.
The longtime Democratic senator from Parkin retired in 1992, after a 35-year tenure. Mr. Bell was known for his commitment to education, including his contribution to the approval of state education standards in the 1980s during then-Gov. Bill Clinton’s administration. Mr. Bell also worked as an educator for 28 years--as a coach, a teacher, and a superintendent.
