Grinnell College Athletics

Jim George's journalistic contributions to Grinnell College athletics have been immense, and have earned him his place in the Grinnell College Athletic Hall of Fame. By the time he came to Grinnell, George was a seasoned journalist. His career began at Coe College, where he majored in journalism, edited the school newspaper, and graduated Cum Laude in 1938. He was also a member of Sachem, the senior men's honor society, and president of the Iowa Student Editors' Association. After college, George worked as a newspaper editor in Eldora, Iowa, from 1939-42, work he continued after World War II from 1947-51. He won several Iowa Newspaper Association awards for his news and sports. While in the Army Air Corps, George did not rest from editing; he was sports editor for the European edition of the Stars and Stripes. After 1951, George was the editor of the Grinnell Herald-Register and the Montezuma Republican. He began covering the Pioneers through his work at the Herald-
Register. In 1956, Jim George became the College's first sports information director (he also edited the Alumni Scarlet and Black). George was responsible for all athletic publications at Grinnell, as well as compiling and maintaining statistics and records for all the College's teams. In 1960, George left Grinnell to pursue a career at Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance, where he founded the public relations department. He worked as the public relations director and advertising manager until his retirement in 1986. During this time, he was an officer of the Iowa Industrial Editors and the Iowa Insurance Editors organizations, and his publications won several awards from these groups. He continued to cover the Pioneers through his freelance photography business, George Photo. In 1985, George returned to his old position as Grinnell's sports information director. This time, he served as editor and photographer for the Sportsletter. He
relinquished this position in 1990, but continued as the Sportsletter editor and photographer until 1999. George lives in Ginnell and and continues to cheer on the Pioneers.