Loreto George

But Loreto George hit his tee shot right down the middle, and we were off for a nice round of golf.

George would shoot a 90 - not bad for a man with two artificial hips and no depth perception who will turn 80 the first of the year.

George's name doesn't mean much to most sports fans today in Portage County, but in the late 1940s he was the best golfer in the area.

Standing 5-foot-7 and weighing in at 165 pounds, George wasn't an imposing figure.However, when George tried out for the Kent State golf team in the spring of 1947, he more than met the mark needed to make the team.

"I showed up for the tryouts smoking a cigar and 24 years old," said George.
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At the 1949 NCAA Tournament, George teamed with Arnold Palmer, Gardner Dickerson, Art Wall, Harvey Wood Jr. and a couple of others to defeat a collegiate team from the west.
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"I think that was the highlight of my college career," said George.

George graduated from KSU with a bachelor's degree in health & physical education and mathematics.He went on to earn his master's degree in elementary education administration (1956) and secondary administration (1965).

George retired from the Barberton school system after 32 years as a teacher and principal.

Like many men his age, George fought in World War II.He served in the Army and fought in Europe, and participated in the Battle of the Bulge.He won three Bronze stars, so you know he wasn't drinking milk shakes at the PX during the conflict.

"I worked in the steel mill in West Virginia when I came back," said George.
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George learned to play golf as a kid when he was a caddie at a local golf course.

"I caught the eye of the high school coach when I was in the seventh grade," said George.
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One of the interesting stories told by George had to do with the balls they were given to play with during the season.

"We were given a new sleeve of balls for every match," narrated George."They were the worst balls made.During the round and during practice we used to look for lost balls on the course so we would have a decent ball to play with in matches.We certainly didn't have money to buy any."

After graduating from Kent State, George became an assistant football and basketball coach at Warren Consolidated H.S. (1950-55) and coached Pittsburgh Pirate great Bill Mazeroski.
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George continued to play in tournaments.He had a streak of 47 straight appearances in the Ohio Valley Open, which he won seven times.He also won many tournaments in the Akron area, including club championships at Barberton Brookside.He is a 12-time winner of the State Kiwanis tournament.There are so many trophies on his rec. room wall, you can't see the paint.

"I can remember playing in tournaments with Al and John Sedlock," said George, who still plays golf three times a week."There were some great golfers in the Kent area."

George was one of the founding fathers of the Greater Summit Seniors Golf Association in the early 1980s.It was organized for golfers over the age of 50.Now there are over 700 golfers participating in 10 tournaments during the summer.

George still has a warm spot in his heart for Kent State.

"(Current KSU golf coach) Herb Page has done a great job with the team," said George.