We asked alumni, students and friends to share their favorite Professor Reg Bell stories as we celebrate his milestone 200th consecutive teaching term. We’ll post those stories here throughout the month. If you’d like to share your own story, email RegBell200@kettering.edu. You can also share your stories on Twitter using the #RegBell200 hashtag.

“I believe our chemistry class was the first to be called “Bell’s Angels”. We had formed an intramural basketball team and Mr. Bell was our coach. It was truly one of the my best memories of him. I can’t remember how many games we played, but I don’t remember ever losing. His gift was not so much coaching, as it was knowing and understanding each of the players, and how to inspire them to be the best they could.

Mr. Bell has absolutely no athletic ability at all. I myself was not a good athlete either, but I could shoot a basketball. However, I could never beat him at the game of “h o r s e”, which we would occasionally play in the gym. As I look back, I realize now the psychological games he played, which he was a master at.

“He was a great chemistry teacher, but his true gift was knowing how to get the best out of each and every one of his students. The four years I knew him at GMI were truly a blessing and although I have not seen him since I graduated, I still count him as a friend and his influence has been with me ever since.”

Stephen Belisle ’73

We asked alumni, students and friends to share their favorite Professor Reg Bell stories as we celebrate his milestone 200th consecutive teaching term. We’ll post those stories here throughout the month. If you’d like to share your own story, email RegBell200@kettering.edu. You can also share your stories on Twitter using the #RegBell200 hashtag.

“I had to miss a class for one reason or another, and had to visit Professor Bell’s office to pick up my homework assignment  I walk into his small office and it was almost a maze of stacked papers you had to walk through just to get to your visitor’s seat. Professor Bell is sitting at his seat with a grin and I begin to ask “Excuse me Professor, but I missed Monday’s class and was hoping to pick up my—-“ he then raises his finger in silence as to shush me…..closes his eyes……aimlessly stabs into one of the very large piles of papers within his arms’ reach and pulls out the assignment in one quick swoop”  I look at the assignment in amazement and begin to ask “How did you —“…..where he silently (and with a grin) shushes me again and then dismissed me out of the office…..absolutely classic Professor Bell!”

Ryan LaForge ‘97

We asked alumni, students and friends to share their favorite Professor Reg Bell stories as we celebrate his milestone 200th consecutive teaching term. We’ll post those stories here throughout the month. If you’d like to share your own story, email RegBell200@kettering.edu. You can also share your stories on Twitter using the #RegBell200 hashtag.

“One of the experiences I remember most at GMI is Prof. Bell coming into class on the first day – jumping up on the desk, had all of us stand on our desks and had us give ourselves a hand. The sight of 60 students in a tiered lecture hall, all standing on tables clapping was very out of the ordinary event at GMI and a fond memory of the GMI /Kettering experience.”

Joe Schulcz ’95

We asked alumni, students and friends to share their favorite Professor Reg Bell stories as we celebrate his milestone 200th consecutive teaching term. We’ll post those stories here throughout the month. If you’d like to share your own story, email RegBell200@kettering.edu. You can also share your stories on Twitter using the #RegBell200 hashtag.

“Reg Bell was my Freshman Chemistry II teacher (organic chemistry) in the spring semester of 1968, B section. We had a classmate named Mark Harpootlian who was a curve-wrecker. He was the type of guy that scored 100 percent on everything. Mark was in the habit of sitting in the front row of class each day.  During the semester Reg gave us a quiz at the start of each class period.  One day Mark missed class so Reg hatched a plot to really have some fun with him. Reg told us that he was going to hand out a problem for our next quiz that was so difficult that Mark would never solve it. Reg gave us the solution to the problem so that we could answer the quiz question and then relax and enjoy the show. The next class period Mark came in and sat down in the front row and Reg handed out the quiz. Mark was furiously working away in the front row, oblivious to the fact that we were all silently laughing behind his back. As it turned out, the laugh was on us and Reg – Mark successfully solved the problem!”

Roger C. Ellis ’72 

We asked alumni, students and friends to share their favorite Professor Reg Bell stories as we celebrate his milestone 200th consecutive teaching term. We’ll post those stories here throughout the month. If you’d like to share your own story, email RegBell200@kettering.edu. You can also share your stories on Twitter using the#RegBell200 hashtag.

“Professor Bell is the single reason I am able to call myself a Kettering University Alumnus. Through the admissions screening process, I had a problem with some of the criteria and was requested to provide additional information. The request was quite specific: I needed the recommendation of my High School Math Teacher due to some attendance notations in my file. Well, apparently teachers that make attendance notations in your file are reluctant to write recommendations.

“During earlier visits to campus, I had come into contact with Professor Bell and even attended a few of his lectures at his invitation. During my last admissions visit I happened upon him in the hall where he remembered me as “One of his Future Favorite Students.” I explained that although I would very much like that, I was beginning to understand I would not be able to attend the university. Intrigued in my story, Professor Bell invited me to dinner, where he introduced me to the President of the University among others. Later in the week I received a call from the Admissions Staff that Professor Bell had written a letter of recommendation for me, and that I should be aware his recommendation is the only reason they were reversing their decision.

“Thank you Professor Bell. Kettering University is where I became engaged in learning, found my career, and met my wonderful wife. We owe you everything.”

Keith Badgley
General Motors
Hybrid/Electric Engineering

We asked alumni, students and friends to share their favorite Professor Reg Bell stories as we celebrate his milestone 200th consecutive teaching term. We’ll post those stories here throughout the month. If you’d like to share your own story, email RegBell200@kettering.edu. You can also share your stories on Twitter using the #RegBell200 hashtag.

“One lunch hour, Reggie was sitting with Dr. Doddles, the head of the Chemistry Department, eating lunch. He was a relatively new teacher, and so he was sucking up to the Department Head. The night before, Reg had led a review for his students before finals. As they ate, I walked up and began a long gushy thank you speech about his selfless sacrifice at going out of his way to help students. I laid it on thick enough that Reg was starting to color. When I finished, not knowing quite what to say, Reg introduced me to Dr. D. I gushed slightly at my honor at meeting him. Then I turned to Reg and said, “Did I say it right Reggie?” and turned my head and walked away. Reg sat sputtering  while Dr. D laughed and laughed. Demonstrating what a great guy Reg is, I still got my 90 in Chemistry.”

Gary Rutledge ’69-’70