# Wilson Bell > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wilson_Bell > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wilson_Bell.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Bell > Source revision: 1332551135 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|American politician (1897–1947)}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = MO Treasurers - 30 Wilson Bell (1941-1945).jpg | caption = Bell, {{circa|1941}} | birth_date = {{birth date|1897|5|24}} | death_date = {{death date and age|1947|5|20|1897|5|24}} | birth_place = [Potosi, Missouri](/source/Potosi%2C_Missouri), US | office = [State Treasurer of Missouri](/source/State_Treasurer_of_Missouri) | office2 = [Secretary of State of Missouri](/source/Secretary_of_State_of_Missouri) | term = 1941–1945 | term2 = 1945 – May 20, 1947 | predecessor = [Robert W. Winn](/source/Robert_W._Winn) | predecessor2 = [Gregory C. Stockard](/source/Gregory_C._Stockard) | successor = Robert W. Winn | successor2 = [Edgar C. Nelson](/source/Edgar_C._Nelson) | party = [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) | death_place = [Jefferson City, Missouri](/source/Jefferson_City%2C_Missouri), US | battles = [World War I](/source/World_War_I) | branch = [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army) }} '''Wilson Bell''' (May 24, 1897 – May 20, 1947) was an American politician. He served as the [State Treasurer of Missouri](/source/State_Treasurer_of_Missouri) from 1941 to 1945, and as [Secretary of State of Missouri](/source/List_of_Missouri_secretaries_of_state) from 1945 until his death 1947. == Biography == Bell was born on May 24, 1897, in [Potosi, Missouri](/source/Potosi%2C_Missouri), to Henry Bell and Mamie ([née](/source/n%C3%A9e) Crane) Bell.{{Cite web |title=Missouri State Past Treasurers - Wilson Bell |url=https://www.treasurer.mo.gov/content/about-the-office/1wilson-bell |access-date=2026-01-10 |website=www.treasurer.mo.gov |language=en}} His father was a newspaperman, and Bell succeeded his father as publisher of the ''Independent-Journal''.{{Cite news |date=20 May 1947 |title=Wilson Bell, Secretary of State, Dies Early Today |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/80757322/?match=1&terms=Wilson%20Bell |access-date=2026-01-10 |work=[Macon Chronicle-Herald](/source/Macon_Chronicle-Herald) |pages=1}} He studied at the [University of Missouri](/source/University_of_Missouri). He served in the [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army) during [World War I](/source/World_War_I). An obituary described him as "stocky" and "keen-eyed".{{Cite news |date=20 May 1947 |title=Wilson Bell, Secretary of State, Is Dead |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/17360655/?match=1&terms=Wilson%20Bell |access-date=2026-01-10 |work=[Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune](/source/Chillicothe_Constitution-Tribune) |pages=1}} From 1924 to 1932, Bell served as Treasurer of [Washington County](/source/Washington_County%2C_Missouri). He then worked as treasurer of the [Missouri Press Association](/source/Missouri_Press_Association) from 1932 to 1940. A [Democrat](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)), he served as State Treasurer of Missouri from 1941 to 1945, a position he earned an annual $7,500 for. He then served as Secretary of State of Missouri from 1945, until his death in office, in 1947. Following his death, Governor [Phil M. Donnelly](/source/Phil_M._Donnelly) enacted a law allowing the Governor to act as Secretary of State until a replacement could be found; his replacement was [Robert W. Winn](/source/Robert_W._Winn), who had also nonconsecutively served before Bell. In 1918, Bell married Margaret Mary Settle; they had three children together, with a son dying as an infant. He died on May 20, 1947, aged 49, in [Jefferson City](/source/Jefferson_City%2C_Missouri), from [renal cell carcinoma](/source/renal_cell_carcinoma). Following his death, he was commemorated by the [Missouri General Assembly](/source/Missouri_General_Assembly).{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Journal_of_the_House_of_the_State_of_Mis/bskaAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Wilson+Bell+Missouri&dq=Wilson+Bell+Missouri&printsec=frontcover |title=Journal of the House of the State of Missouri |date=1947 |pages=1126 |language=en}} He is buried in Potosi.{{Cite web |title=The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Bell |url=https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/bell.html#622.24.77 |access-date=2026-01-10 |website=politicalgraveyard.com}} == References == {{Reflist}}{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=[Robert W. Winn](/source/Robert_W._Winn)}} {{s-ttl|title=[Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) nominee for [State Treasurer of Missouri](/source/State_Treasurer_of_Missouri)|years=1940}} {{s-aft|after=Robert W. Winn}} {{s-bef|before=Dwight H. Brown}} {{s-ttl|title=[Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) nominee for [Secretary of State of Missouri](/source/List_of_Missouri_secretaries_of_state)|years=1944}} {{s-aft|after=Walter H. Toberman}} {{s-off}} {{succession box | title=[State Treasurer of Missouri](/source/State_Treasurer_of_Missouri) | before=[Robert W. Winn](/source/Robert_W._Winn) | after=[Robert W. Winn](/source/Robert_W._Winn)| years=1941–1945}} {{s-bef|before=[Gregory C. Stockard](/source/Gregory_C._Stockard)}} {{s-ttl|title=[Secretary of State of Missouri](/source/List_of_Missouri_secretaries_of_state)|years=1945–1947}} {{s-aft|after=[Edgar C. Nelson](/source/Edgar_C._Nelson)}} {{s-end}} {{MOTreasurers}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Wilson}} Category:State treasurers of Missouri Category:Secretaries of state of Missouri Category:Missouri Democrats Category:Deaths from kidney cancer in the United States Category:1897 births Category:1947 deaths Category:20th-century Missouri politicians Category:Deaths from cancer in Missouri --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Wilson Bell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Bell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Bell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.