George E. Barnes (1900-2002)

      An Iowa farm boy, George Barnes was born in Garner, Iowa on March 17, 1900.  Upon his graduation from college in 1918, he went into the banking field and soon thereafter rose to the position of Chief Trust Officer. Despite the depths of the Depression, he co-founded the Chicago brokerage firm of Wayne Hummer and Company. His positive attitude enabled the firm to flourish, and he gained a reputation as an expert on tax matters, even testifying before Congress on such issues. Until just before his death he maintained a seat on the New York Stock Exchange and was its oldest living member. His first love was tennis, particularly junior tennis. He was elected to and served as President of the United States Lawn Tennis Association in 1956-1957, and during his tenure he initiated many national programs to attract children to the game. He moved to Rancho Santa Fe at age 92 and began engrossing himself in the tennis needs of youngsters in the area. The next year, he became a major force in the creation of a tennis center in San Diego, which was devoted to enabling children at risk to stay off the streets and become involved in the sport. To jump-start the program, he contributed one million dollars to the facility, which bears his name today, the George E. Barnes Family Tennis Center. He continued to contribute time and money to the center up to his passing. In 1999, the International Tennis Federation presented him with the prestigious “Achievement Award”. Junior tennis in San Diego is much indebted to George Barnes.