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George A. Latimer

Hall of Fame

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Inducted 1972

College

Rutgers University

George Alvah Latimer was born in Cortland, New York, a hot bed of lacrosse, on May 16, 1909. He starred in lacrosse and football at Cortland High School, graduating in 1927. He matriculated to Rutgers University, earning letters in football and lacrosse for four years while he was at the university. He had the rare distinction of being chosen to the All-America first team for three years in 1930, 1931 and 1932, one of a handful of lacrosse greats who have attained that honor. He was the outstanding player of a selected "All-American" team vs. Canadian teams in 1930, a team coached by Laurie D. Cox and Jack Faber.

In 1932, he played an important role in the stirring and exciting tryouts for the Olympics held that year in Los Angeles, and it was because of his role that the Rutgers lacrosse team reached the semifinal round. In 1932, he was also awarded the Donald L. Coursen Trophy at Rutgers University, given "to that member of the graduating class who has participated in a varsity major sport and has proven himself an athlete of ability, who has shown determination, courage, manliness, modesty, and self-control, and who, with loyalty to the University, unselfish devotion to his teammates, and generous fairness to his opponents has played the game according to the spirit of the rules." In addition to his outstanding athletic achievements, George was elected Senior Class President at Rutgers University in 1932. He was the proprietor of "Latimer's Store for Men" in Cortland, New York.