University of Washington Professor Emeritus and former member of the Department Advisory Board, Paul Dietrichson, has died. Paul passed away on January 6, 2010, at the age of 88 after a long illness. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mary Louise, their three children, Deirdre, Tor, Eliza, and three grandsons.
Paul was born in Bergen, Norway, in 1921. During World War II, Paul was active in the Norwegian resistance and committed numerous acts of bravery in helping Jews escape persecution. Years later this heroism was recognized by the Seattle Scandinavian community, and he was made Grand Marshal of the Norwegian Day parade. Before attending Yale and earning a Ph.D. in philosophy he attended the University of Georgia. From Yale, he came to the University of Washington where he was an active member of the philosophy faculty for the next 36 years. He taught courses in Kierkegaard, Kant, and Existentialism. His courses reflected a passionate, sincere, deeply thoughtful approach to his topics, and were extremely well received by his students. Much of his teaching centered on the theme of moral commitment, and no one in our time has been more morally committed than Paul. His presence will be deeply missed.