George Ball (American businessman)

George Carl Ball Jr. is an American seedsman who has served as chairman and CEO of W. Atlee Burpee since 1991.

After studying at Bard College and DePaul University, he joined Ball Seed in the late 1970s. He later worked as a marketing executive at Pan American Seed, where he was named president in 1984. When the opportunity presented itself, George Ball acquired Burpee, and took on the roles of Burpee's CEO and Chairman.

George Ball is currently Chairman of the Board of the Burpee Foundation and a trustee of the Horticultural Society of New York. From 1990 to 1993, he served as the president of the American Horticultural Society—the youngest in the organization's history. George Ball has served as a trustee on numerous boards, including Bard College (1996–2001), The Orme School (1995–2000), and The National Gardening Association. He was President of his family foundation for two years (2000–2002).

George Ball also participated in numerous seed relief efforts. In February 2004, he contributed to what can be categorized as the largest vegetable seed relief shipment in history involving aid to farmers in Iraq—in collaboration with the Coalition Partnership Authority and United States Department of Defense.

George Ball's awards include the Wilfred Jung Distinguished Service Award from the Garden Writers Association of America, the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Horticulture Society of New York, the President's Medal of Appreciation from the American Horticultural Society, and the "Design 100" from Metropolitan Home magazine.

In 2016, George Ball was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa from Delaware Valley University in recognition of his outstanding professional accomplishments and community outreach.

In 2023, Mr. Ball was awarded the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from his alma mater, Bard College—"His ability to see beyond what others might see makes George Ball a visionary who continues to nurture innovation in the horticultural world."

George Ball's opinion articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, the San Francisco Chronicle, and many other newspapers.[1][2][3][4][5][6]