Portrait of Samuel B. Bell, [s.d.]

Photographic portrait of Samuel B. Bell, [s.d.]. Bell can be seen from his torso to his head facing to the right. He is visible wearing a dark jacket with a black collar, dark tie, and white shirt with and upturned collar. He has curly dark hair that extends almost to his shoulders. Bell was born in Orange County, New York, in 1817 and died in Santa Barbara in 1897. He came to California in 1853 as part of a group of eight clergymen sent out as missionaries by the Presbyterian General Assembly. His arrival in San Francisco on March 20, 1853, on the clipper ship Trade Wind, marked the end of a 102 day, record-setting voyage from New York via Cape Horn. Mr. Bell was the first minister of the first Presbyterian Church of Oakland, organized March 20, 1835(?). He was one of the incorporators of the College of California, predecessor to the University of California, and was instrumental in the establishment of the University. He was Chairman of the first Republican Convention in 1856; in 1857 and 1858, he represented Alameda and Santa Clara in the Senate. In 1859, he was one of the candidates for the Republican nomination for governor. Dr. Bell was large, erect, and an effective speaker, self-denying and self-forgetful, and his influence and usefulness in the community was great.