[1] On February 24, 1847, George Atkinson was ordained as a Congregational minister and then sent with his wife as a missionary to Oregon Country.

[3] George Atkinson would serve as minister for 15 years at the church, and helped to found the Clackamas County Female Seminary.

[6] He proposed that education should be at no cost to students with financial support coming through taxes, a permanent fund to provide financing should be established, control of the schools should be at the local level, the schools should allow religious freedom, and teachers should be certified to meet professional standards.

[7] Once public education laws were passed, George Atkinson became the first superintendent of schools in Clackamas County.

[1] In 1885, his district was split, and Atkinson remained in charge of the Oregon section until his death in Portland on February 25, 1889.