George Sumner Bridges

A native of Seattle, Washington, Bridges earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington, followed by a Master of Arts in criminology and PhD in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.{{cite web|title=Whitman College picks UW dean as president|url=http://seattletimes.com/html/education/2002087887_whitman11m.html|publisher=Seattle Times}}

While completing his doctoral work, he served for five years as a social scientist in the United States Department of Justice in the staff office of the United States Attorney General. One of his roles was as assistant administrator of the Federal Justice Research Program, conducting, designing, and funding research on federal legal policy.

In 1981, Bridges accepted his first academic appointment in sociology at Case Western Reserve University. In 1982, he moved to his alma mater, the University of Washington, with an appointment in the department of sociology.{{cite web |url=http://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns/june96/bridges.html |title= George Bridges |work= washington.edu}} At UW, he rose to the rank of professor and associate dean and associate vice provost of undergraduate education. In 2000, he was appointed dean and vice provost of undergraduate education.{{cite web |url= http://www.washington.edu/news/2002/04/11/bridges-brings-rich-history-to-post/ |publisher= University of Washington |title= Bridges brings rich history to post |date=April 11, 2012|author1=Roseth, Bob |author2=Steve Hill }}

Bridges’ scholarly work has examined crime and its measurement as well as law and the administration of law and justice. He has published articles in leading professional journals and several books{{cite book |title= Inequality, Crime, And Social Control (Crime and Society): George S Bridges, Martha A Myers: 9780813320052: Amazon.com: Books|isbn= 0813320054|last1= Bridges|first1= George S.|last2= Myers|first2= Martha A.|date= 7 April 1994}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sagepub.com/books/Book220625|title=SAGE: Criminal Justice: Readings: George S. Bridges: 9780803990807|work=SAGE|date=20 September 2021}} on these subjects. He studies the causes of racial disparities in imprisonment, identifying the mechanisms by which perceptual biases of racial and ethnic minorities give rise to disproportionately punitive outcomes for minority defendants in criminal cases.{{cite web|title=Bridges' Scholarly Work|url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=bridges+racial+disproportionality&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart&sa=X&ei=4oI4U4bUM-WwygGNq4GQCw&ved=0CCkQgQMwAA|publisher=Google Scholar}}

As dean and vice provost at the University of Washington, he led initiatives to advance innovation in teaching and learning for undergraduate students.{{cite web|title=Colleagues say Bridges tough to replace |url=http://dailyuw.com/archive/2004/11/22/imported/colleagues-say-bridges-tough-replace#.U4UZhS8WdyU |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140901091048/http://dailyuw.com/archive/2004/11/22/imported/colleagues-say-bridges-tough-replace%23.U4UZhS8WdyU |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-09-01 |publisher=The Daily }}

Bridges served as the 13th president of Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, from July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2015,{{cite web|title=George Bridges|url=https://www.whitman.edu/academics/departments-and-programs/sociology/faculty/george-bridges|work=Whitman College|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320101103/http://www.whitman.edu/academics/departments-and-programs/sociology/faculty/george-bridges|archivedate=2015-03-20}}{{cite web|title=Whitman president Bridges stepping down|url=http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/02/whitman-president-bridges-stepping-down/|work=The Seattle Times}} replacing Tom Cronin.{{cite web|url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/education/2002087887_whitman11m.html|title=The Seattle Times: Education: Whitman College picks UW dean as president|work=seattletimes.com}} At Whitman, Bridges led the college's $150 million fundraising campaign,{{cite web|url=https://www.whitman.edu/newsroom/whitman-college-announces-150-million-fundraising-campaign|title=Whitman College announces $150-Million fundraising campaign|work=Whitman College|date=18 November 2011}} which reported $157 million raised as of March 31, 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.whitman.edu/campaign|title=Now Is the Time|work=Whitman College|access-date=2015-06-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425041649/http://www.whitman.edu/campaign|archive-date=2015-04-25|url-status=dead}} During his tenure, the college opened the Glover Alston Center (2010);{{cite web|url=https://www.whitman.edu/about-whitman/diversity/glover-alston-center/construction-history|title=Construction History|work=Whitman College}}{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web|url=https://www.whitman.edu/about-whitman/diversity/glover-alston-center|title=Glover Alston Center|work=Whitman College}} launched initiatives and dedicated funding for innovation in teaching, such as the Cross-Disciplinary Learning and Teaching Initiative;{{cite web|url=https://www.whitman.edu/offices-and-services/provost/initiatives-and-planning/cross-disciplinary-learning-and-teaching-initiative|title=Cross-Disciplinary Learning and Teaching Initiative|work=Whitman College}} established the college's Global Studies Initiative with a $345,000 grant{{cite web|url=https://www.mellon.org/grants/grants-database/grants/whitman-college/20800668/|title=Global Studies : Whitman College - The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation|work=mellon.org}} from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation{{cite web|url=https://www.whitman.edu/academics/global-studies-initiative/about-the-initiative |title=About the Global Studies Initiative |work=Whitman College |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530080403/https://www.whitman.edu/academics/global-studies-initiative/about-the-initiative |archivedate=2015-05-30 }} and expanded academic programs in the life sciences{{Cite web |url=https://www.whitman.edu/newsroom/whitman-magazine/2010/march-2010/feature-professorial-reflections/life-sciences |title=Life sciences |website=Whitman Magazine |language=en |access-date=2017-09-09}} and computer science.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.seattletimes.com/microsoftpri0/2014/09/25/microsoft-establishes-computer-science-chair-at-whitman-college/|title=Microsoft helps Whitman College establish computer science chair|work=The Seattle Times}}{{cite web|url=http://www.geekwire.com/2015/whitman-college-raises-8m-from-microsoft-other-donors-to-launch-computer-science-program/|title=Whitman College raises $8M from Microsoft, other donors to launch computer science program|author=Taylor Soper|work=GeekWire|date=2 April 2015}} The Whitman College Student Engagement Center was also established during Bridges' tenure which, in 2014, offered 120 paid summer internships to Whitman students.{{cite web|url=https://www.whitman.edu/student-life/student-engagement-center/internships/internship-resources/2014-summer-internships|title=2014 Summer Internships|work=Whitman College|access-date=2015-06-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915013539/https://www.whitman.edu/student-life/student-engagement-center/internships/internship-resources/2014-summer-internships|archive-date=2015-09-15|url-status=dead}} In May 2012, Bridges secured a Mellon Grant for $150,000{{cite web|url=https://mellon.org/grants/grants-database/grants/whitman-college/21200674/|title=Mid-Career President: Learning & Development : Whitman College - The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation|work=mellon.org}} for "Higher Education and Scholarship in the Humanities" with a focus on "Presidential Leadership."

Bridges's leadership at Whitman College was not without controversy. In 2010, Whitman College ended "need blind" admissions and by 2014 became the least economically diverse top college in the United States.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theawl.com/2014/09/whitman-college-and-the-decline-of-economic-diversity/|title = Whitman College and the Decline of Economic Diversity}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/09/09/upshot/09up-college-access-index.html|title=The Most Economically Diverse Top Colleges|newspaper=The New York Times|date=8 September 2014}}

While serving at Whitman College, Bridges was appointed to the board of directors of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) in 2009. In 2013 he was named Vice Chair of the Annapolis Group of the nation's 102 leading liberal arts colleges and served as Chair of the Annapolis Group in 2014–15. He serves as chair of the Board of Directors of the Independent Colleges of Washington.{{cite web|url=http://www.icwashington.org/board.html#exec|title=ICW Board of Directors|work=icwashington.org}} He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce in the city of Walla Walla, Washington, the home of Whitman College.{{cite web|title=Board of Directors|url=http://www.wwvchamber.com/pages/BoardofDirectors/|publisher=Walla Walla Chamber of Commerce}}

In March 2015, Bridges was named president of Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington,{{cite web|title=Whitman College president picked to lead Evergreen State College|url=http://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/whitman-college-president-to-become-head-of-evergreen-state-college/|work=The Seattle Times|date=16 March 2015}} succeeding Thomas L. "Les" Purce.{{cite web|title=George Bridges Named Next President of The Evergreen State College|url=http://www.evergreen.edu/news/2015/george-bridges-named-new-president.htm|work=evergreen.edu|access-date=2015-06-02|archive-date=2015-05-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514152600/http://www.evergreen.edu/news/2015/george-bridges-named-new-president.htm|url-status=dead}}

Bridges was president in 2017 when the campus was shut down as a result of a series of protests over racism and oppression on campus.{{cite news|last1=Hartocollis|first1=Anemona|date=June 16, 2017|title=A Campus Argument Goes Viral. Now the College Is Under Siege.|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/us/evergreen-state-protests.html|accessdate=17 September 2019}} Bridges was also present when Campus Police notified a professor, Bret Weinstein, that he was unsafe on campus due to the protests.{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-campus-mob-came-for-meand-you-professor-could-be-next-1496187482 |title=The Campus Mob Came for Me—and You, Professor, Could Be Next |first=Bret |last=Weinstein |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |date=30 May 2017 |publisher= |via=www.wsj.com}}{{cite web |url=http://www.king5.com/news/local/olympia/professor-told-hes-not-safe-on-campus-after-college-protests/443098670 |title=Professor told he's not safe on campus after college protests |publisher=King5}}

At the time Bridges assumed the role of president of Evergreen, student enrollment was already declining: It was 4,891 in 2009 and declined to 4,190 the year Bridges started. Under George Bridges's leadership, the college full-time student enrollment decreased from 4,225 in 2015 to 2,209 in 2020.{{cite web |url=https://www.evergreen.edu/sites/default/files/headcount71-20.pdf |title=The Evergreen State College Total Student Headcount and FTE |publisher= |via=www.evergreen.edu}}

• George S Bridges and Martha A. Myers, eds. Inequality, Crime and Social Control, 1994, Boulder. Colo.: Westview Press.
• George S. Bridges, Robert D. Crutchfield and Joseph G. Weis, eds. Crime and Society: Criminal Justice, 1996, Thousand Oaks, Ca.: Pine Forge Press.
• George S. Bridges and Scott Desmond, eds. Teaching and Learning in Large Classes, 2000, Washington D.C: American Sociological Association.

Gregg Herrington. "[https://www.theamericanconservative.com/evergreen-state-george-bridges-college-president-protests/ Meet the Most Embattled College President in America]", The American Conservative, 29 August 2017.

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Category:1950 births

Category:Living people

Category:American sociologists

Category:Presidents of Whitman College

Category:University of Washington faculty

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Category:University of Pennsylvania alumni