David E. Bell

David Elliott Bell (January 19, 1919 – September 6, 2000) was a director of the United States' Office of Management and Budget from January 22, 1961, until December 20, 1962, under President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy named him administrator of the Agency for International Development in late 1962. He left government service in 1966 to become the Executive Vice President of the Ford Foundation.

Early life and family

David E. Bell was born on January 20, 1919, in Jamestown, North Dakota, the son of Florence and Reginald Bell. He spent part of his youth in San Francisco, while his father was teaching at Stanford University. In 1939, he received a B.A. from Pomona College, California, and in 1941 a M.A. in economics from Harvard University.

On November 17, 1943, he married Mary Louise Barry. When they met, Mary worked at the Commerce Department and later was employed as a 4th grade teacher. David and Mary had two children: a daughter Susan, and a son Peter. The Bells and their children traveled extensively in all parts of the world, and lived in several locations, including New York City, Boston, MA, Washington D.C., and Karachi, Pakistan. He continued to travel the world with his wife up until the time of his death.

Military service Bell joined the United States Marine Corps in December, 1942. He was trained at Fort Benning, Georgia, Camp Pendleton, California, and Quantico, Virginia, where he was an instructor. He served on land in Pearl Harbor from July 1945 until he was released from active duty on 21 September of the same year, at which point he was a First Lieutenant. He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 19 July 1948 and was honorably discharged on December 16, 1957.

Government service In 1942, he became a staff member at the Bureau of the Budget. During World War II (1942 to 1945) he served in the Marine Corps. From 1947 to 1951, Bell alternated between a position on the staff at the Bureau of the Budget, and a position as a special assistant to President Harry S. Truman. In 1951, Bell became Administrative Executive to the President. In these positions Bell worked on the formulation and evaluation of the administration's economic policies and programs. During this time, Bell also worked as a speech writer for President Truman. In this post Bell worked at developing foreign aid programs and legislation and appealing for funds and fighting budget cutbacks.

Ford Foundation work Bell left the government in the summer of 1966, and became Executive Vice President of the Ford Foundation, a private independent institution dedicated to advancing social justice in the US and in developing nations. During his time at the Ford Foundation, Bell was a member of a large number of advisory committees dealing with foreign aid and government reorganization. He left the Ford Foundation in 1980.