A member of the University of Lynchburg Board of Trustees has created a scholarship in honor of his parents. The Lester M. Bell ’76, ’81 MAd and Audrey Dodd Bell Scholarship Fund, established with a $50,000 gift from Eric Bell ’89, supports undergraduate students in Lynchburg’s business and nursing programs.
“Through this scholarship, Eric Bell honors his father and his family’s roots as first-generation graduates,” said Shawn Wood, associate vice president of advancement. “His generosity provides a major pathway for University of Lynchburg students in nursing and business, ensuring that the virtues of higher education that had been so cherished by the Bell family continues to empower our future leaders.”
Lester Bell ’76, ’81 MAd, who died in April 2025, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s in personnel administration and management from what was then Lynchburg College. His wife, Audrey, is a 1963 graduate of Lynchburg General Hospital School of Nursing and worked as a registered nurse with Centra Health for 42 years.
“I am very fortunate to have wonderful parents,” their son said. “Both raised from humble beginnings in Nelson County, Virginia, they both instilled in me a work ethic and an appreciation for higher education, allowing me to become successful in my career and life.
“[I had a] profound realization that the best way to preserve my father and mother’s legacies is by giving back to the aspiring students at the University of Lynchburg, so they can be successful in life as well.
“Of course, they both would be humble and not want to draw attention to themselves, but I know of no more deserving people. I love them both and miss my father every day. This scholarship offers me consolation that they will not be forgotten.”
Eric Bell, CEO of Virginia Eye Institute in Richmond, joined Lynchburg’s board of trustees last summer. He has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Lynchburg, where he also competed on the track and field and baseball teams. He also holds a master’s degree in health administration from Virginia Commonwealth University and a bachelor’s degree in history from Virginia Tech.
After graduating from Brookville High School in Lynchburg, he enrolled at Virginia Tech, where he played baseball and studied engineering. It wasn’t long, however, before he switched directions and found his way to his dad’s alma mater.
“I found engineering not to be the right choice for me and discovered Division I baseball to be overwhelming in terms of time and commitment,” he said. “During my sophomore year at VT, sitting in a class with 200-plus students, I came to the realization that I was not happy with my institutional choice.
“A close friend … attending Lynchburg recommended that I might be happier at a smaller college. I subsequently transferred … and immediately found that Lynchburg College was the right fit for me, and it continues to be a special place in my life.
“I graduated, got married to a wonderful woman in Snidow Chapel, and I have the great honor of being named a trustee of the University.”
On GiveDays, April 15-16, you can give to already-established funds or set up your own match or challenge by reaching out to the Office of Advancement at [email protected]. If you’d like to make your gift early, visit lynchburg.edu/givedays and help us reach our 1,000-donor goal.
