Jerry Gill's Enduring Questions

Norm Dahl, Western Washington University

An Unimportant Connection Between A Couple of Interesting Old Timers

Norm Dahl and Edward R. Murrow were born and raised in a small village called Bow-Edison, about 20 miles south of my hometown of Bellingham, Washington. Since they were born roughly ten years apart, in 1920 and 1908, respectively, they probably never knew each other. Both attended nearby Burlington High School and played basketball. Dahl went to Western Washington University in Bellingham, where he excelled in football, basketball, and track. Murrow attended Washington State University in Pullman, Washington.

Norm Dahl was my very first track coach when I was in junior high. He was a standout hurdler, introducing me to running hurdles and the long jump. He was a friendly guy willing to take the time to teach a young kid how to run and jump. I attended Western Campus School and spent nearly all my afternoons on the track field. Years later, I became skilled at hurdles and the long jump. I have remained grateful for Mr. Dahl’s patience and insight all these years. After serving our country in World War II, Norm Dahl served as a teacher at his high school alma mater. We never met again after those early years.

Edward R. Murrow

After graduating from college, Ed Murrow worked in newspaper reporting and later became a radio news announcer for ABC. He quickly gained prominence and became famous for his broadcasts on the issues at the core of the so-called “McCarthy Investigations.” He targeted Senator Joseph McCarthy and his efforts to root out “Communist Sympathizers” in the government, Hollywood, and academia during the 1950s. Years later, one of my professors at the University of Washington, Dr. Melvin Rader, was exonerated after being accused of being a Communist by Senator McCarthy. After several years of challenging McCarthy’s claims about American citizens, Murrow himself faced criticism and was eventually fired for exposing the falsehood and emptiness of McCarthy’s accusations.

I remember watching some of these Congressional Hearings where Murrow and Rader were accused of being “Communist Fellow Travelers.” Murrow always ended his broadcasts with the words: “Good Night and Good Luck.” The closest I got to being in Murrow’s presence was when I attended Washington State University for my first year of college, the same school from which he had graduated, but many years later. So, my connection with Ed Murrow was indirect at best, while my link to Norm Dahl was direct but ultimately insignificant. Professor Rader was highly respected in the academic community for standing up to McCarthy, but never talked about those events in class.

Here, then, were two important people who, in their way, impacted my life: one as a friendly coach and the other as someone who stood up for freedom of speech and honesty in the public sphere. Many years later, I was privileged to coach track and field teams at a couple of high schools and colleges and try to emulate Norm Dahl’s willingness to teach and encourage young people to enjoy and improve themselves through sports. Likewise, throughout my college teaching career, I have regularly taught political philosophy as a way to explain and explore political issues and their impact on our lives. I used one of Professor Rader’s books as a text in one of my courses. Both of these men, having lived near my hometown and attended the same schools as I did, served as examples for me of individuals who embodied kindness and insight and led lives that made a significant difference in the lives of others.