The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 38, No. 31, Ed. 1, Tuesday, May 22, 1951 Page: 3 of 12
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MAY 22 1951
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THE OPTIMIST
PAGE 3
Bell Teaches Young? Old
Love For Word Of God
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H. C. Bell Is known by all
his studonts for his doep
spirituality his great hu-
mility and his unfailing
faith In God. He has taught
at ACC for a quarter of a
century.
Cox Leads ACQ
Past Dark Days
by Heber Taylor
James Franklin Cox beloved
Bible professor will be giving his
last exams at ACC next week. He
is retiring after 33 years of teach-
ing and serving as dean and presi-
dent of Abilene Christian college.
Thousands of ex - students
remember tall straight silver-
haired Cox as the man who ad-
vised them to "hoe your row to
the eri'd'-when they faltered dur-
ing their college days here.
Cox recalls that through the
years he gave this advice most
often around holidays when stu-
dents asked permission to go home
early.
T used to tell them about my
days as a boy on the farm. When
the dinner bell rang I always
wanted to throw down my hoe
and run for the house. But my
daddy would say 'Hoe your row
to the end son.' "
Born Teacher
Cox is at the end of his teaching
row at ACC. But he isn't through
with teaching. A born teacher
he's not likely to stop until God
tells him to lay down his hoe.
Even now he is thinking of the
Bible classes he wants to teach
at the College congregation when
he retires.
Son of native Tenneseans Cox
was born in Ohio where his par-
ents moved to escape carpetbag
evils in the South. His family
moved to Texas when he was six
and he's been a Texan ever since.
Ho got to attend school because
he was a sickly child and couldn't
always stand a farm-work pace.
A chance remark by a teacher
who spent a night at his home
caused him to want to be an edu
cator. The rpmnrk made to his
parents was:
"I believe James will make a
good teacher some day"
0 A 14-Vear old James Cox over-
hearing lound his heart fired
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with ambition. YES he would
make a teacher and a GOOD onel
Cox's record as an educator is
well known in the Southwest In
1939 he was written up In the
Houston Post as one of Texas'
leading educators.
Highlights
Some of the highlights in his
career story are:
His first teaching three winter
terms and one summer was done
in a one-room school house in
Erath county near his home from
1890 through 1899.
He later worked his way
through the University of Texas
He was class orator and a tutor
in the speech department the year
he was graduated 1904. The year
before he was a hurdler on the
Longhorn track team.
Intensely interested in Christian
education he was president of
Linglevllle Christian college for
two years. His health gave way
as he worked hard to keep the
school going.
In 1906 ho joined A. B. Barrett
Charles H. Roberson and others
on the first faculty of Childers'
Classical institute later ACC.
His health regained he agreed
to help Linglevllle again in 1007.
He served as president until 1909
when his health played out again.
(These years Cox says were hard
physically and financially but
strengthened his faith in God and
enriched his spiritual nature. They
also taught him much about
school administration and teach-
ing.) The next two years were spent
doing M.A. work at the Univer-
sity of Texas. This time he served
as an Instructor in the speech de
partment
ACC President
In 1911 he was appointed pres-
ident of ACC. He spent the sum-
mer cleaning tho campus and re-
pairing run-down buildings but
before tho opening of school he
by Janollo Bot well
"Not what a person knows but
what he is taught to love is the
important part of education."
These words of R. C. Bell re-
tiring professor of Bible will be
familiar to many students oh the
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received a call to the bedside of
his wife the former Mary Hayes
of Midway and spent the entire
school year away from ACC. His
brother Dr. A. B. Cox later direc-
tor of the bureau of marketing at
the University of Texas filled in
for him.
In 1912 he was superintendent
of Midway public school. From
1913 to 1917 he was president of
John Tarleton. He Is credited with
saving this school poverty-stricken
at the time and with building
up its enrollment from 65 to 500.
He saved Tarleton permanently
when he persuaded the state to
take it over. By so doing he be-
came nerhans tho only college
president in history to talk him
self out of a job. ("I knew" ho
says "that I would not fit there
after the school became a branch
of Texas A&M.")
Next followed 12 "months of
graduate workpt George Peabody
college in Nasfiville.
From 1919 to 1923 he was head
campus. For years Bell has lived
in accord with this teaching
young and old throughout the
country to have a greater love for
God and His Word.
After school in his boyhood
town of Shelbyville Tenn. Bell
went to Nashville as a young man
of 18. In Nashville he attended
the Nashville Bible institute for
four years. It was while a student
there that he began to preach.
Upon graduating from the Nash-
ville Bible institute he went with
James Harding to Bowling Green
Kentucky where he taught in the
Potter Bible school for four years
While at Bowling Green he mar
ried Miss Bessie Sparkmnn of
Gainesville Tex. Miss Sparkman
was a student at the Nashville
Bible institute at the same time
Bell was.
Moving westward the Bells
lived in Odessa Mo. where Bell
taught for three years at the West-
ern Bible and Literary college.
Later in Oklahoma he was asso-
ciated with the Cordell Christian
college.
Teaching courses in Bible and a
few in English Bell spent his ear-
ly days when the salary of a
Christian school was not a living
salary teaching young people.
In 1910 Bell came to Thorp
Springs Tex. with hi3 family. He
of the education department at
ACC. Then from 1924 to 1932 he
was dean under President Batsell
Baxter. He helped move the school
from the old six-acre campus
downtown to the present site in
1029.
From 1932 to 1940 Cox served
ACC as president and took the
school through the gloomy days
of the depression.
Since 1940 he has been profes-
sor of Bible at ACC. During this
period he has had more time to
enjoy life. More time too for
being an lder in the church of
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came upon acceptance of the pres-
idency of Thorp Springs Junior
college. It was during his four
years as president of that school
that the school became an accred-
ited junior college.
In 1019 Bell came to Abilene
Christian college and has been
here ever since with the excep-
tion of three years at Harding
college and four years at David
Lipscomb college. Since his last
return he has been at ACC for 15
years.
Before coming to ACC from
Thorp Spring Bell received his
masters degree from Southern
Methodist university. Earlier he
had secured his B.A. degree from
Potter Bilbe school.
Bell has three daughters all
graduates of ACC. One of these
daughters Miss Bess Bell is
teaching at the present in the
Demonstration school. He is Also
mighty proud of his great grand-
daughter and great grandson.
Although retiring from his class-
room work Bell is not severing
oil connections with ACC. He will
continue to giade Bible corres-
pondence papers for the extension
office as he has done in the post
Using Bell's own words in say-
ing "Gratitude is the memory of
the heart" ACC will always have
many memories for R. C. Bell and
his work.
Probably no other man has
had as much to do with the
building of Abilene Christian
college as James F. Cox Bible
professor and past president
of the school. To many he is
known as "Mr. ACC."
Christ.
Prcs. Don Morris recalls that
when the going was toughest dur-
ing the depression Cox made this
statement to his faculty:
"If I have to get down and
crawl on my knees I'll do it to
keep Abilene Christian college go-
ing." ACC will miss Cox the man
who carried his row of duties to
her to the end It's comforting
to know however that ho lives
just across the street from the
school and will hear any call tot
help.
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 38, No. 31, Ed. 1, Tuesday, May 22, 1951, newspaper, May 22, 1951; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth95698/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.