By Jonathan Siegle
Photos by Dave Kao
Controversy has fol
lowed Derrick Bell,
dean of the law
school, since his
arrival in Oregon
There was the FBI flap last
year and the crisis over the
Environmental Law Center
Lately he's received more
attention over the reporting of
his comments to the black
alumni.
He’s not happy with all the
attention
"I think I've had more expo
sure in the press than the
president (Olum),” he says.
But that is the result of
speaking out on unpopular is
sues
"A substantial part of being
controversial is to have views
that most people have and be
willing to express them in
contexts that it's not in your
best interest to do so. And at
some risk.”
He does not seek con
troversy, but it may be una
voidable. Causes raise
eyebrows — some of approval,
some of disapproval — Bell
says "To speak out on con
troversial issues, to take un
popular stands,” he says, "is
to raise some questions ”
Yet Bell is no radical. Many
of his concerns are what one
would expect from a lawyer —
civil liberties issues, privacy
issues It is this, however, that
makes Bell controversial. "To
express and support a policy
people think is fair creates
consternation, even when
you’re clearly working in
people's interests.”
And he surely isn't back
ing off, although he
does wish some
of the attention
would go
away
Bell
knows
there are
many in Oregon
who would prefer
he leave, just as there
ca ■ c i ■ i a 11 y tti iw die v^iau
he’s here Hiring him was
“a smart move, and it did take
some courage I told them in
advance that I wasn’t one of
those professionals who just
happens to be black.”
He took the job and did not
"disappear into the woodwork
of regularity." There are those,
Bell says, who believe "It’s a
great thing the law school
appointed you as dean. Be
appreciative, and don’t make
waves."
Don’t make waves
"Everybody would rather get
along with people Most of us
take an awful lot in order to get
along, which is especially true
of blacks.”
Don’t make waves
“Americans are a people
comfortable with the status
quo.”
Don't make waves “Fade
into the background Be more
neutral ”
Bell is proud of his tenure as
dean of the School of Law He
admits, however, to not being
“an administrative genius I
kind of drop the ball the whole
time."
“I have a sense that
enterprises I am involved with
are going to do well Effort on
my part will be rewarded We
were able to add LEXUS
We’ve got computers now, a
number of improvements
Visitors want to stay.”
"I’d like to have a decent
budget, but the absence of a
decent budget and the
pressures from outside create
an environment where people
want to stay together,” Bell
says
“Seven members of our
«na mere are as many
books in process for publica
tion next year. It’s astound
ing,” he says Unlike
Harvard, our people get very
little support tor writing
But good teaching makes
good writing and vice
versa It’s a circular ef
fort.”
"I can’t take credit for that "
The law school is improving
its national image, Bell says "I
think that reputation is a
subjective thing Reputation is
based on the age of the
school, its size and the amount
of money it has to spend.
Reputation is separable from
the quality of education, and
you have to deal with it that
way. A quality reputation
attracts better students ”
"Impressive folk are
applying to teach at Oregon,”
he says "Add the budgetary
problems, and it's quite
amazing .”
Bell says at other law
schools the dean stays an
average of three years He
would like to equal the six-year
tenure of his two
predecessors, then move on
but not as a dean "One of
these is enough But I’d like to
fill out the same term and build
on their good work "
Bell, his wife Jewell, and his
three sons came to Eugene
from Harvard, where he was
on the faculty Living in Ore
gon, he has faced some
problems, "but to a different
degree Boston is one of the
most racist cities, even now
It's just an awful place Oregon
was a relief to living in Bos
ton "
"If I hadn't lived in cities like
w New York, Chicago, I would
not appreciate what Eu
^^^gene has But Oregon
ians aren’t used
to seeing too
many black
people
an me lime, uui you jusi wish
you didn’t have to when you
go out to have a good time,"
Bell says
“I can't say I haven't been
affected by the racial compo
sition of the state But you've
got to take the bitter with the
better "
Bell admits it's easier for him
as dean of the law school than
other blacks. "Whites are very
class conscious There's a lot
of class base to racial dis
crimination In our travels
people have been kind and
helpful "
He also admits he ignores
the lesser hassles "People
have no sense of what they’re
saying, so you let it pass "
When Bell was hired,
colleagues back east suggest
ed perhaps he was retiring He
disputes that "It's not an
anomaly for a civil rights
attorney to come out and be
dean of a virtually all-white law
school in a virtually all-white
state Since I ve been here I've
been more outspoken than
ever before."
Coming to Oregon may
prove to be the best thing for
him and the state He
challenged the legal profes
sion when he suggested
Portland attorneys would
prefer representing murderers
and thieves to the Black United
Front He's challenged the in
stitution of law school when he
suggested great similarities
exist between law students
and slaves He's brought
attention to important issues
and recognition to the School
of Law
r
Derrick Bell, dean of the University's
taw school, is widely known tor his
pursuit of civil rights causes, yet he
has found time to improve the law
school during hts tenure
nope. Bell says, "the
final evaluation is that it
will be good for me and
good for the school "