Eddy Shell
Encyclopedia
Edwin Taylor "Eddy" Shell (April 6, 1937 - May 2, 2008) was a prominent educator and politician
in Bossier Parish in northwestern Louisiana
. In 1967, he was among the original five full-time faculty members to launch Bossier Parish Community College
in Bossier City
. The institution was then known as Airline Junior College
. Shell taught speech
there for a full four decade
s. In 1991, he was elected as one of the first Republican
s ever to serve on the Bossier Parish Police Jury (equivalent of county commission
in other states).
in West Texas
to Freeman E. Shell (August 20, 1906 - November 24, 1994), and the former Reba Odell Taylor (March 29, 1915 - January 29, 2003). Mrs. Shell was originally from Hamburg
in Ashley County in southeastern Arkansas
. The Shells moved from Lubbock to Springdale
in Washington County
in northwestern Arkansas. Eddy was the youngest Eagle Scout
in the state. He graduated from Springdale High School
.
In 1960, Shell received his bachelor's degree
and teaching credentials from Louisiana Tech University
in Ruston
. He was a teacher and debate
coach at Bossier High School for seven years until he joined Bossier Parish Community College. He procured graduate credentials from Louisiana Tech, Northwestern State University
in Natchitoches
, and California Miramar University in San Diego
, then known as "Pacific Western University".
Lorenz "Lo" Walker
, then running as a Democrat
. He was unopposed in the subsequent elections of 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007 from his District 12 seat in south Bossier Parish. Bossier Press-Tribune editor
and publisher David Specht, Jr., recalls how considerate Shell was of media representatives at police jury meetings. He made sure that the reporters had documentation to assist them in writing their stories. He was available for background sessions and often recommended that reporters focus on items that he considered the most important. Specht said that he was still shocked to learn of Shell's death because, even as a cancer
patient, Shell had fought bravely against all adversity. On Shell's death, the police jury appointed Paul M. "Mac" Plummer to serve until the October 4, special election for the remainder of Shell's last term, which had begun on January 16, 2008.
Shell was "Educator of the Year" in Bossier Parish in 1970 and 1995 and "Mr. Bossier Parish" in 1970. He was a member of the Louisiana National Guard
and served in the reserve components of the United States Army
, Navy
, and Marines
. He was the founder of the first day-time truancy
center in Louisiana; by 2008, there were twelve such facilities. Shell was also a professional photographer, often handling wedding
s, and served as president of the trade association
, Professional Photographers of Louisiana from 1980-1981. He was a member of the Masonic lodge
.
Church, but he and his second wife, the former Barbara Schneider, were Mormons
from 1994-2002. He publicly broke with Mormonism and posted a statement on the Internet
to that effect. Shell said that he conducted a study of the religion and determined the Book of Mormon
to be fiction
. He particular rejected the Mormon concept of eternal progression: “As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be.” Shell encapsulated his testimony, accordingly, in second person:
"You must know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. You must allow Him to enter into your heart. He must be a part of your life at work, home, and play. You can have a personal relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ, and the assurance of eternal life, through prayer to the real God of Abraham
, Isaac
, and Jacob
. You will have daily the grace of love beyond expectations.
, a cancer which he once described as "four tumors wrapped around each other, encapsulated." Despite the difficulties of surgeries
, radiation
, and chemotherapy
, Shell continued teaching, having missed no more than a week of instruction, and he still served on the police jury. He used his personal struggle with cancer as a lesson to his students and others to whom he came in contact."I was trying to show my knuckle-headed students that cancer doesn't mean death," he said in 2007. In the classroom, Shell was known for his enthusiasm and theatrics, sometimes getting atop his desk to make a particular point. Shortly after the funeral, Shell was honored in the commencement ceremonies at BPCC.
In addition to wife Barbara, (born ca. 1948), originally from Landau
in Germany
, Shell was survived by a daughter Sally S. Shell (born la. 1963), a teacher in Broomfield, Colorado
; son Ted Shell,(born la. 1966) a nurse in Tacoma, Washington
, and granddaughter Callie Shell of College Station, Texas
; his siblings, Mally S. Hatch and Freeman E. Shell, Jr., both of Decatur, Alabama
, and Sally Elizabeth Shell Whitehead of Jacksonville, Arkansas
; three stepchildren, and four step-grandchildren.
Kelly McDade, a BPCC instructor, said that the institution has its "work cut out for us to meet Dr. Shell's challenge of embodying the best there is in humanity. I learned from Dr. Shell that every day is an opportunity to embrace life with gusto and that to share knowledge and understanding with everyone I meet is an honor."
BPCC Chancellor Tom Carleton, who delivered the eulogy
at Shell's funeral, recalls that when Freeman Shell taught his son how to drive a car, he taught using the reverse gear first. "That's how [Eddy Shell] approached all of life's problems, taking the hardest first."
Shell is interred with military honors in Hill Crest Cemetery east of Bossier City.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Bossier Parish in northwestern Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. In 1967, he was among the original five full-time faculty members to launch Bossier Parish Community College
Bossier Parish Community College
Bossier Parish Community College is a two-year institution of higher education established in 1967 by the Louisiana State Legislature, initially as a pilot program to test the feasibility of commuter two-year colleges...
in Bossier City
Bossier City, Louisiana
Bossier City is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States.As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 61,315. Bossier City is closely tied to its larger sister city Shreveport, located on the western bank of the Red River. The Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area is the...
. The institution was then known as Airline Junior College
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
. Shell taught speech
Speech
Speech is the human faculty of speaking.It may also refer to:* Public speaking, the process of speaking to a group of people* Manner of articulation, how the body parts involved in making speech are manipulated...
there for a full four decade
Decade
A decade is a period of 10 years. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek dekas which means ten. This etymology is sometime confused with the Latin decas and dies , which is not correct....
s. In 1991, he was elected as one of the first Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
s ever to serve on the Bossier Parish Police Jury (equivalent of county commission
County commission
A county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals...
in other states).
Early years and education
Shell was born in LubbockLubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
in West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
to Freeman E. Shell (August 20, 1906 - November 24, 1994), and the former Reba Odell Taylor (March 29, 1915 - January 29, 2003). Mrs. Shell was originally from Hamburg
Hamburg, Arkansas
Hamburg is a city in Ashley County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 3,039 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Ashley County.-Geography:...
in Ashley County in southeastern Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. The Shells moved from Lubbock to Springdale
Springdale, Arkansas
As of the census of 2010, there were 69,797 people, 22,805 households, and 16,640 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 64.7% White, 0.82% Black or African American, 1.8% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 5.7% Pacific Islander, 22% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more...
in Washington County
Washington County, Arkansas
Washington County is a county located in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 203,065. The county seat is Fayetteville. Washington County is Arkansas's 17th county, formed on October 17, 1828, and named for George Washington, the first President of the...
in northwestern Arkansas. Eddy was the youngest Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
in the state. He graduated from Springdale High School
Springdale High School
Springdale High School is a public high school in Springdale, Arkansas, United States for students in grades ten through twelve. Springdale High School is one of two high schools administered by the Springdale School District, the other being Har-Ber High School. SHS is also an IB World School...
.
In 1960, Shell received his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
and teaching credentials from Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
in Ruston
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
. He was a teacher and debate
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
coach at Bossier High School for seven years until he joined Bossier Parish Community College. He procured graduate credentials from Louisiana Tech, Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University, known as NSU, is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.NSU was founded in 1884 as...
in Natchitoches
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
, and California Miramar University in San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, then known as "Pacific Western University".
Community service
Shell was first elected to the police jury in a runoff with his fellow Republican Fay Rawls, 1,215 votes (52.6 percent) to 1,093 ballots (47.4 percent). The third candidate, eliminated in the nonpartisan blanket primary, was future Bossier City MayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Lorenz "Lo" Walker
Lo Walker
Lorenz James Walker, also known as Lo Walker , is the Republican mayor of Bossier City in northwestern Louisiana.At seventy-five, the self-described "workaholic" Walker, ran unopposed for a second four-year term in the April 4, 2009, municipal elections in Bossier City, the largest city in Bossier...
, then running as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. He was unopposed in the subsequent elections of 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007 from his District 12 seat in south Bossier Parish. Bossier Press-Tribune editor
Editor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
and publisher David Specht, Jr., recalls how considerate Shell was of media representatives at police jury meetings. He made sure that the reporters had documentation to assist them in writing their stories. He was available for background sessions and often recommended that reporters focus on items that he considered the most important. Specht said that he was still shocked to learn of Shell's death because, even as a cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
patient, Shell had fought bravely against all adversity. On Shell's death, the police jury appointed Paul M. "Mac" Plummer to serve until the October 4, special election for the remainder of Shell's last term, which had begun on January 16, 2008.
Shell was "Educator of the Year" in Bossier Parish in 1970 and 1995 and "Mr. Bossier Parish" in 1970. He was a member of the Louisiana National Guard
Louisiana National Guard
The Louisiana National Guard consists of the:*Louisiana Army National Guard** includes the U.S. 256th Infantry Brigade*Louisiana Air National Guard-External links:*** compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History...
and served in the reserve components of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, and Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. He was the founder of the first day-time truancy
Truancy
Truancy is any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling. The term typically describes absences caused by students of their own free will, and usually does not refer to legitimate "excused" absences, such as ones related to medical conditions...
center in Louisiana; by 2008, there were twelve such facilities. Shell was also a professional photographer, often handling wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
s, and served as president of the trade association
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
, Professional Photographers of Louisiana from 1980-1981. He was a member of the Masonic lodge
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
.
The break with Mormonism
Shell was a member of the Broadmoor Assembly of GodAssemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
Church, but he and his second wife, the former Barbara Schneider, were Mormons
Mormons
The Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
from 1994-2002. He publicly broke with Mormonism and posted a statement on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
to that effect. Shell said that he conducted a study of the religion and determined the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
to be fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
. He particular rejected the Mormon concept of eternal progression: “As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be.” Shell encapsulated his testimony, accordingly, in second person:
"You must know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. You must allow Him to enter into your heart. He must be a part of your life at work, home, and play. You can have a personal relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ, and the assurance of eternal life, through prayer to the real God of Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
, Isaac
Isaac
Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible, was the only son Abraham had with his wife Sarah, and was the father of Jacob and Esau. Isaac was one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites...
, and Jacob
Jacob
Jacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the...
. You will have daily the grace of love beyond expectations.
Death and legacy
Shell died after a nearly two-year struggle with spiral sarcomaSarcoma
A sarcoma is a cancer that arises from transformed cells in one of a number of tissues that develop from embryonic mesoderm. Thus, sarcomas include tumors of bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, vascular, and hematopoietic tissues...
, a cancer which he once described as "four tumors wrapped around each other, encapsulated." Despite the difficulties of surgeries
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
, radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
, and chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
, Shell continued teaching, having missed no more than a week of instruction, and he still served on the police jury. He used his personal struggle with cancer as a lesson to his students and others to whom he came in contact."I was trying to show my knuckle-headed students that cancer doesn't mean death," he said in 2007. In the classroom, Shell was known for his enthusiasm and theatrics, sometimes getting atop his desk to make a particular point. Shortly after the funeral, Shell was honored in the commencement ceremonies at BPCC.
In addition to wife Barbara, (born ca. 1948), originally from Landau
Landau
Landau or Landau in der Pfalz is an autonomous city surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town , a long-standing cultural centre, and a market and shopping town, surrounded by vineyards and wine-growing villages of the...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Shell was survived by a daughter Sally S. Shell (born la. 1963), a teacher in Broomfield, Colorado
Broomfield, Colorado
The City and County of Broomfield is a prominent suburb and tier of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States. Broomfield has a consolidated city and county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The...
; son Ted Shell,(born la. 1966) a nurse in Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, and granddaughter Callie Shell of College Station, Texas
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
; his siblings, Mally S. Hatch and Freeman E. Shell, Jr., both of Decatur, Alabama
Decatur, Alabama
Decatur is a city in Limestone and Morgan Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The city, affectionately known as "The River City", is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake, along the Tennessee River. It is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County...
, and Sally Elizabeth Shell Whitehead of Jacksonville, Arkansas
Jacksonville, Arkansas
Jacksonville is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States, and a suburb of Little Rock. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 28,364. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area....
; three stepchildren, and four step-grandchildren.
Kelly McDade, a BPCC instructor, said that the institution has its "work cut out for us to meet Dr. Shell's challenge of embodying the best there is in humanity. I learned from Dr. Shell that every day is an opportunity to embrace life with gusto and that to share knowledge and understanding with everyone I meet is an honor."
BPCC Chancellor Tom Carleton, who delivered the eulogy
Eulogy
A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
at Shell's funeral, recalls that when Freeman Shell taught his son how to drive a car, he taught using the reverse gear first. "That's how [Eddy Shell] approached all of life's problems, taking the hardest first."
Shell is interred with military honors in Hill Crest Cemetery east of Bossier City.