PATTI ALSOP BELL

Patti Alsop Bell attended LaSalle Elementary School, Clark Junior High School, and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1955.

Her activities and events during high school were Girls Hi-Y, Sponsors Club, Club and Social Editor of Old Post Sentinel, Vice-President Boosters, Lincoln Play Shop Thespians, Office Student Assistant 4 years, Majorette 4 years, 1952 Homecoming Queen, Vice-President Junior Class, 1954 Honored Queen of Job’s Daughters, Senior Editor Yearbook, 1955 Signature Queen, and a member of the National Honor Society.

Patti received her A.A. Degree in 1957 from Gulf Park Junior College for Women in Gulfport, Mississippi. She was class President, Student Body President, May Court Attendant and "Miss Gulf Park." Her B.S. Degree was from Indiana University’s School of Education in 1959, where she pledged Pi Beta Phi Sorority and was active on campus in student government. While teaching in Illinois, she completed her Masters Degree in Elementary Education at the University of Southern Illinois.

In 1979, Patti was presented the Humanities Award from the Classroom Teachers Association of Broward County, Florida, for her work with minorities. She returned to Vincennes in 1983, teaching one year at Vincennes University and eleven years of Kindergarten at Vigo Elementary School.

In 1991, Patti was the recipient of an outstanding service award in elementary education by Phi Delta Kappa. She received a "Golden Apple" award in 1993 from Channel 10 WTHI-TV in recognition of her excellence in the educational field.

She retired in 1994 after a 32 year teaching career. Patti belongs to the Knox County Retired Teachers’ Association and the Indiana Retired Teachers’ Association. She was the 1999 Indiana Retired Teachers’ Association State Winner for Volunteer Services to her community.

In 1994, she was presented the Outstanding Citizen Award from National Flag Celebration, Inc. The Modern Woodmen of America honored her in recognition of her leadership and dedicated community service in 1995. She was selected for the Spirit of 76 Award on July 4, 1995, for her commitment to community involvement, educational excellence, and personal achievement.

Patti co-authored a book, "Through the Cracks," that was published in 1995. This true account was about the horrendous child abuse and murder of 5 year old Amy Shipley.

She is one of the founders of the Knox County Child Abuse Prevention Council. Patti is a past co-chairperson and presently serves on the board. She is involved in child abuse awareness and prevention programs by traveling the State of Indiana, speaking to churches, high schools, and clubs. She received the first Friend of the Child Award from the organization.

Patti is secretary of the Harbor House board. She belongs to the Knox County Mental Health Association and is a member of St. John’s United Church of Christ.

She began volunteering in 1997 as a tutor for the learning mentor program at Lincoln High School and served as a consultant for the Junior Achievement program in 1999 to a classroom of first graders at Riley Elementary School. Patti is a member of the Lincoln High School Academic Society and the Vincennes Education Foundation.

For the past two years she has been a team coordinator for the Relay for Life, a team event to fight cancer. She is a board member of the Knox County Unit of the American Cancer Society and an eighteen-year cancer survivor.

Patti Alsop Bell’s parents are the late T. Ralph Alsop and Charleenees and Carl Lutkemeier. Mrs. Bell has two sons, Brent and Chad, and a granddaughter, Emerson.

Distinguished Alumni 1999

Class of 1955