Rex Bell, a former silent film actor who made several B western movies in the 20s and 30s, took up ranching and moved to a spread in Searchlight, Nevada in the early 40s. After nearly a decade in the ranching business, he sold the northern half of his ranch, moved to Las Vegas and opened a western store. He ran that business naturally, striking up a rapport with anyone he met. The merchandise he carried looked great on him; he was especially dazzling in the custom-tailored western suits he wore in parades.
Rex Bell experienced one political defeat when he lost a Congressional bid seat in the 1944 election. He became leader of the state GOP and in 1948 was an alternate to the Republican National Convention. He was also active in the Chamber of Commerce and Boy Scouts.
The ties Bell forged during those years helped him win the lieutenant governor's office in 1954. That year Charles Russell, the incumbent GOP governor, also won. In 1958 Democrat Grant Sawyer unseated Russell, but Bell won re-election as lieutenant governor. Bell was a likeable, friendly, and charismatic figure admired by all.
During his campaign for governor, on July 4, 1962, Rex Bell died of a heart attack in Las Vegas. The 57-year-old party leader has just attended a county GOP picnic that featured a rising Republican star, Paul Laxalt.
This bio was extracted from an article by Barbara Chadwick from the Nevada magazine, July/August 1985.