William Bryden George (November 28, 1899June 25, 1972), also known as Baldy George, was a Canadian sports administrator and agriculturalist. He was president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association from 1952 to 1955, when Canada debated whether it would withdraw from the Ice Hockey World Championships and the Olympic Games. At issue was the perceived financial exploitation of the Canada men's national ice hockey team and abuse from European media on the Canadian style of physical play. He wanted a financial guarantee for the national team when it travelled since its participation increased attendance at events in Europe. Canada did not participate at the World Championships in 1953 and placed second in 1954, which led to heavy criticism by media in Canada for the failure to win. Although Canada won the 1955 Ice Hockey World Championships, George questioned future participation and was concerned that the game in Europe took on political and religious meanings in which Canada did not want to become involved.
George's tenure as president saw a struggle for control of senior ice hockey and the imbalance of junior ice hockey in Canada. He helped negotiate the establishment of the Major Series of senior hockey which competed for the Alexander Cup at a higher level of competition than the Allan Cup, and then saw the subsequent suspension of the Quebec Amateur Hockey Association, the withdrawal of the Quebec Senior Hockey League and the end of the Major Series. He negotiated a new agreement with the National Hockey League to increase the amount of profits to be given to junior teams the league sponsored, but resisted requests to transfer talent to Eastern Canada which weakened junior teams in Western Canada during the Memorial Cup playoffs. He served 25 years on the Ottawa and District Amateur Hockey Association executive and sought to expand hockey in Eastern Ontario. He oversaw the establishment of district playoffs for minor ice hockey and welcomed teams formed of Canadian Armed Forces athletes during World War II. George served as chairman of the CAHA committee to oversee grants to develop minor hockey and how to best distribute the funds. In November 1949, he presided over the meeting which founded the Ottawa District Minor Hockey Association.
George was an Ontario Agricultural College graduate, taught at Kemptville Agricultural School for 34 years, became head of its soil chemistry department and was chairman of the Fertilizer Advisory Board of Ontario. He lectured on the importance of soil fertility and soil quality, and frequently spoke at conferences for the Eastern Ontario branch of the Agricultural Institute of Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture. He was a regular lawn bowler, and served as president of the Kemptville Lawn Bowling Club and the Provincial Lawn Bowling Association in Ontario. He oversaw implementation of uniform scoring and tournament draws, and establishment of a publicity committee and consistent advertising for the sport in Ontario. He was a founding member and a president of the Kemptville Rotary Club, and was elected Governor of District 250 of Rotary International in 1956. His community involvement also included serving as president of the local Red Cross Society and as chairman of the Kemptville District Hospital construction committee. He was posthumously inducted into the builder category of the Kemptville District Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
Early life and education
William Bryden George was born on November 28, 1899, in the village of Highgate, Orford Township, Kent County, Ontario, to parents Thomas Treavathen George and Rachel Ann Jamison. He was the son of a Methodist minister and was raised in small communities in rural areas of Kent County. He worked seasonally on local farms and spent one summer farming in Saskatchewan. He graduated from Thamesville High School in 1918. He attended Ontario Agricultural College where was known as "Baldy" due to having a lot of hair, and the nickname persisted throughout his professional career.
George graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, then joined Kemptville Agricultural School in 1926, as the dean of residence and teaching courses in English and economics. He soon became involved in overseeing sporting activities at the school and directed its annual sports meet. An indoor ice rink was constructed in Kemptville in 1928, and George helped organize an ice hockey team for the school, despite not having played the game at a high level. He soon became secretary-treasurer of the local senior ice hockey team, and an ice hockey referee.