ALUMNAE/I PROFILE and Friends to Share It With A
t the start of his junior year of high school, George
Critchlow ’67 left his hometown of Kennewick, Washington, to attend a brand new school. Bishop Dagwell Hall opened its doors for the first time that fall, and no one was sure what kind of school it would become. Some of the teachers wanted a modern school while the administrators wanted to form a traditional school. “Nobody said this to me
at the time, but looking back I can see that there was a competition going on for the soul of the school,” George said. The men who were brought in to teach at the
new school were mostly young and idealistic, and they challenged the students to think deeply about what they believed and to make those values the guiding principles in their lives.
earned his law degree from Gonzaga University and then practiced law in his hometown. In 1980 he became a clinical law professor at Gonzaga. The values that he had
begun forming at BDH became crucial in 1995 when Gonzaga faced a crisis. Several African- American students at the Gonzaga Law School were targeted with anonymous and threatening mail and phone calls. George and others responded by rallying the community
against prejudice. Their efforts led to the founding of the Gonzaga Institute for Hate Studies, which countered prejudice with public education through classes, workshops, conferences, and a journal. Legislation about hate speech has become a
“ You could see teachers as human beings rather than just
academics, and vice versa, they could see you as an individual.” — George Critchlow ’67
“I became more thoughtful about my values
and how to choose a career path that would allow me to express those values,” George said. “I learned what is important to me and how I could incorporate that in the journey of my life. I’m sure I would have gone to college anyway, but I became focused on college as a serious career- building platform.” By the time he left BDH, George was headed
in the direction of law, teaching, public service, and social justice. He attended Bard College and then the University of Washington, where he majored in political science and English. He
specialty for George, and when he returned to campus for his 45th class reunion in October, he spoke with students in Deb Walsh’s Constitutional Law class about the intersection of hate speech and the First Amendment. The lively
debate reminded George of what he loved about his two years at BDH. “In public school there was stigma about being
academic or nerdy,” he said. “At BDH, I became a lot less fearful. The opportunity to overcome that kind of fear was very important for me.” Rather than being persecuted for expressing his
ideas, he experienced a new sense of camaraderie with his classmates, with whom he is still close. “Those relationships were important and
continue to be important to me,” he said. “I didn’t experience intense friendships—until I came to BDH.”
George Critchlow ’67, left
Bishop Dagwell Hall opened in the fall of 1965, sharing the Nicol Road campus with St. Helen’s Hall. In 1968, the administration of the two institutions was combined, and in 1972 the schools merged to form Oregon Episcopal School.
Finding a Path,
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Extra web content: Reunion video
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