In 1985, Gary L. Bell ’86 was just 26 years old and not quite finished earning a bachelor’s degree in general studies at Wichita State when he became the second African American in Wichita’s history to serve on the city council. At the time, he was also the youngest person to be elected a council member. Bell, who attended WSU on a football scholarship, served on the council for two years.
In 1989, he moved to California where he worked in banking, most recently as president and CEO of Cooperative Federal Credit Union in Berkeley. A licensed real estate broker, he owned First Bankers Mortgage & Realty in Richmond, Calif., for several years, while becoming ever more involved in local political and community activities.
He was elected to the Richmond City Council and served from 1999 to 2004, working to alleviate blight and helping start the Richmond Main Street Initiative, with its goal of revitalizing the city’s historic downtown area. He served on committees for issues related to schools, seniors and the arts. With a promise to focus on financial matters, he was again elected to the council on Nov. 6, 2012, but did not take office because of illness.
In 2006, as a mayoral candidate, Bell said, “I’ve achieved many of the things I’ve wanted to achieve in life. I’m happily married, have a beautiful family, run a successful business and have an amazing circle of friends. I want to give back to Richmond, the city that has given me so much.”
Gary Bell died Aug. 1, 2013, in Richmond.
