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Richard Gordon Jones ’50

Richard Gordon Jones ’50, April 28, 2007, in Seattle, Washington. Dick received a BA from Reed in history and philosophy. He married Sheila Bain ’51 in 1950; they had three sons, including Sean Jones ’80. In 1963, Dick earned an MA in history from the University of Washington, where he had become a member of the Phi Alpha Theta history honor society. Certified to teach in Washington State, he became an instructor at East High School in Bremerton, but was dismissed from his post in 1960 for involving his students in a U.S.–Soviet Cold War altercation. Dick regretted the action, and, aided by the teachers union, won a lawsuit against the school board, though he was unable to secure another teaching position. He then worked a variety of jobs, including seasonal farm labor, and was a volunteer at the Washington Cultural Cooperative Bookstore. In later years, Dick stated his occupation as teacher and janitor, and had a position at Seattle University. He was passionate about social change and progress, and spoke and wrote extensively about his views. He was also involved in efforts to secure a pardon for American Indian Movement activist Leonard Peltier.

Appeared in Reed magazine: November 2007