George S. May
Entrepreneur
Brought golf to public consciousness through tournaments, large prizes, public grandstands, and radio coverage.
He was a member of the Tam O'Shanter country club, which he rebuilt and improved after a fire, using it as the base for his first golf tournament.
His first tournament, The Chicago Open, promised a prize of $1,500 to the winner and $5,000 in prize money overall and drew some of the top players to his club.
His family was residing in Windsor, Illinois, when he was born.
His tournament's earliest participants included the golf greats Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, and Gene Sarazen.