John “Mike” Bell was born in Gauley Bridge, W.Va., in 1938. Bell joined WV Tech in 1956 after a successful high school career at Nicholas County High in Summersville, W.Va.
Bell joined WV Tech’s “Century-Limited” basketball team in 1956-57. As a guard, he was the leader of the fastbreak offense that averaged 100+ points per game. The team led the nation in scoring while he was at WV Tech. Bell averaged 15.2 points per game during his career and led the conference in free throw shooting (89.4%) during the 1959-60 season.
After graduating with a degree in business management, Bell joined the United States Navy and entered pre-flight school. During his time with the Navy, Bell served for four years as a flight officer. After his tour of duty, Bell worked for General Motors Corporation in Saginaw, Mich., as a financial supervisor. Years later, he made a career change and moved back to West Virginia where he worked with Cannelton Industries as a health benefits and worker’s compensation supervisor. Bell also spent 13 years working in real estate in Charleston, W.Va., until his retirement in 2007. Bell became the first athlete to be inducted into Nicholas High School’s Athletics Hall of Fame.
Bell and his wife Ann (Gay) Bell have two children, Lynn Bell and Kathi Wiley, and reside in Charleston, W.Va.
