FORT WORTH - Donald W. Bellah, 85, retired dean of the fine arts department at Texas Wesleyan University, died Saturday morning, May 5, 2001.

Funeral: 2 p.m. Tuesday at Polytechnic United Methodist Church. Rev. E. Frank Leach and Charles Holland will officiate. Casket bearers will be Joe Brown, Dan Garland, Rusty Garvin, Ray Jenkins, Quentin McGown and Wayne Wallis. Burial: Friday at Palestine Cemetery in Omaha, Ill. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Memorials: Should friends desire, memorials are requested to the Donald W. Bellah Scholarship Fund at Texas Wesleyan University.

Donald W. Bellah was born June 22, 1915, in Omaha, Ill., to Russell Woodrow and Nelle Hancock Bellah.

He retired from Texas Wesleyan in 1981 after 40 years on the faculty. He began his teaching career as a senior at Illinois Wesleyan University, where he received both his bachelors and masters of music degrees. On completion of his graduate studies in 1940, he joined the Texas Wesleyan faculty as professor of organ and chairman of the division of fine arts. His civilian teaching was interrupted by four years of naval service in World War II, during which he taught at the Navy School of Music in Washington, D.C., before his honorable discharge in 1945.

On his return to Wesleyan, he renewed his work to develop and expand the fine arts curriculum. He recruited to the faculty nationally recognized piano professor George Anson, his former teacher at Illinois Wesleyan. In 1950, Donald Bellah was instrumental in securing accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Music and in establishing Wesleyan's Bachelor of Music degree program. In 1955, he produced "Finian's Rainbow," the first production in what has become an annual tradition of Broadway musicals showcasing the talents of Wesleyan students and faculty. He pursued doctoral studies at Indiana University and received an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from John Brown University in 1960.

When the academic structure of Texas Wesleyan was reorganized in 1979, Donald Bellah was named dean of the School of Fine Arts. During his long career, Donald Bellah served his university and community in many ways. He was a member of the boards of the Fort Worth Symphony, Fort Worth Opera and the Fort Worth Civic Music Association. He was a Fellow of the General Education Board and served as president of both Fort Worth Music Teachers Association and the Texas Music Teachers Association. Donald Bellah was an evaluation visitor for the National Association of Schools of Music and served as Province Governor of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

For his work as a teacher, he received from Wesleyan students the Golden Rule Award and from his fellow faculty members the Faculty Recognition Award. He was also honored as Outstanding Educator of American in 1971 and as Texas Music Teacher of the Year in 1975.

Donald Bellah was a member of the American Guild of Organist and served as organist of Polytechnic United Methodist Church beginning in 1953. He traveled extensively before and after retirement, but his great passion in life was cultivating orchids in his large backyard greenhouse.

Donald Bellah leaves behind him generations of former students who thank him for being a teacher and a friend.

Survivors: Brother, Joseph R. Bellah and wife, Nan of Mount Vernon, Ill. Robertson Mueller Harper 1500 Eighth Ave., (817) 924-4233

Source: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Date: May 7, 2001
Submitted by: Robert W. Loman