Raymond Bell ’78

UCLA alumnus Raymond Bell ’78 — former Bruin linebacker, film student and two-time Emmy Award-winning television producer — is using his success to help pave the way for the next generation.

Bell chose UCLA for its storied history of Black athletes. He says, “I came here, I felt at home. It was the college of Jackie Robinson, Arthur Ashe ’66 and Ralph Bunche ’27. These were African Americans that brought about change. I was excited. I fit in right here at UCLA.” He continues to honor the legacy of these athletes through his professional and personal projects.

Growing up in Berkeley, California, Bell played three years of high school basketball, switching to football his senior year. He arrived at UCLA in the summer of 1973, excited to watch legendary coach John Wooden lead the Bruins to victory and was thrilled when they won the 1975 NCAA Championship.

Bell was a starting linebacker for the UCLA football team, where he lettered three of his four years, earning honors on the field. In his second year they played in the Rose Bowl game, taking on the undefeated former National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes had beat the Bruins once already that year, making the UCLA 23-10 victory even sweeter.

On the academic side, Bell heard about a television production course that interested him. Although he wasn't enrolled, he decided to sit in on a lecture. The professor was describing the various roles on a television show and asking students to raise their hand for the ones that interested them. While most students wanted to be directors or producers, Bell was the only student to raise his hand for the role of grip — the person who ​​sets up equipment and keeps it organized. The professor admonished the class, “You think you’re choosing the important roles, but without the grip we have no show. If we don't have a grip, we have nothing.”

The class was taught by Robert Trachinger, an ABC producer whose innovations in hand-held cameras and black-and-white slow motion revolutionized sports coverage. Trachinger became a mentor to Bell who says, “I am where I am today because of him. I tell students, be ready when you have an opportunity.”

Bell graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in motion picture television, hoping to pursue a football career. When that didn’t work out, he took an internship at KTLA Channel 5 that turned into a paid role. He worked with Los Angeles legends Hal Fishman ’56, Stan Chambers, Larry McCormack, Stu Nahan and Ed Arnold saying, “I sharpened my skills under those guys to become a sports assistant and later a producer.”

He later worked for both KCBS and KTTV Fox, one of the top television markets in the country, covering Los Angeles sports teams. He won two Emmys and a Los Angeles Press Club Award for his work. He says, “The most defining thing I covered was the day Magic Johnson announced that he had contracted [HIV]. Everybody's hearts dropped. His courage changed people’s views and brought attention to the disease.”

In 2002, he developed and produced a 10-episode sports entertainment show called “Inside Pitch” for Fox Sports International. The show featured athletes and celebrities, including Shaquille O’Neal, Will Smith, Sylvester Stallone, Lisa Leslie and others.

Bell began producing documentaries with his filmmaker partner, Doug Harris, also from Berkeley. He says, “We’re profiling changemakers, and untold stories about people who have broken through the glass ceiling.” Their latest project, "Called Up: The Emmett Ashford Story," tells the story of a man inspired by Jackie Robinson to become the first Black umpire in Major League Baseball. Bell says, “He had an amazing journey, and worked long and hard to break through barriers that persist today. If you have a dream, he's an inspiration to go forward.”

“Called Up” also honors one of Bell’s personal heroes, the iconic Jackie Robinson. He says, “Jackie Robinson had courage. A lot of people in his situation would have quit. He gave African Americans the knowledge that we can do anything. He paved the way.” Eleven other Bruins are involved with the project, including Ashford’s daughter, Adrienne Bratton ’66, and former UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero ’74.

Bell has made it a priority to tell these important stories and emphasizes the importance of mentorship, community outreach and perseverance in overcoming obstacles. He knows that college sports are changing and athletes face unique challenges. He says, “As alumni, there are opportunities to come back and mentor students. I had someone do that for me, and now I’m talking to football players about changing their trajectory.”

One way he is giving back is by participating in the UCLA Community Programs Office’s “Beloved Community” event. The program is based on an idea developed by philosopher Josiah Royce, the namesake of Royce Hall, and expanded on by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he spoke on the UCLA campus in April 1965, telling the gathered crowd, “Things don’t change on their own, things don’t change by waiting for them to change; they change through the actions of good people.” The Beloved Community Initiative launched at UCLA in 2015 “to effect positive change - locally, nationally and globally.”

Three years ago, Bell proposed adding a “Reel Talk Film Series” screening and panel discussion to the Beloved Community Initiative. He says, “We want people to know about people who have achieved historic firsts through sports.” Films have included “Called Up: The Emmett Ashford Story”; Doug Harris’s documentary “Bounce” about UCLA Basketball standout and the first Black NBA All-Star, Don Barksdale ’47; and “All-American” showcasing Walter Gordon, the first Black UC football player and graduate of Berkeley Law.

Bell has stayed in touch with his friends and teammates from the UCLA football program. Last year, he received a call from hall of fame athlete Kenny Easley ’80, who envisioned getting players together for a reunion. Bell joined a core group of organizers to plan the event, hosted by the Bruin Varsity Club and called, “Bruins for Life: A Gathering of Bruin Football Alumni From All Eras.” Bell says, “It was a powerful event. It really hammers home that once you're a Bruin, you're a Bruin for life.”

Nearly two hundred former Bruins reunited for a two-day event, including generations of players, coaches, Spirit Squad and staff members. They heard from Bruin greats including former coach Dick Vermeil and Nicole Donahue Ianni, daughter of the late Terry Donohue ʼ67, M.S. ʼ77; attended practice and toured the facilities. On the second day, the group headed to the Rose Bowl to watch UCLA Football’s victory over North Carolina Central, and were honored on the field at the end of the first quarter.

Organizers hope to plan future events, to build support for the football program, and strengthen camaraderie and mentorship between generations of players. Bell says, “Look at the great people that have come out of UCLA, outstanding people in all various fields. If they can come back and share their experiences, maybe they can inspire students to go on and achieve greatness.”