Biography
George Radford Weller was born on August 25, 1870, in Yonkers, NY. He was the son of James H. and Adalaide R. (Abbie) Weller. His father was Mayor of Yonkers (1892-94) and also President of the Yonkers Savings Bank.
After high school, George Weller took a business course followed by a year of work. A friend invited him to join the YMCA. That coupled with his mother's Christian influence led him to the International YMCA Training School, now Springfield College, in 1890.
Weller served as the Class of 1892 school president. Despite his small stature, he was known for his toughness, dignity, and wit.
Weller's friends at the Training School often joked about matching him in a fight with a bulldog to see which would outlast the other. His toughness was an important attribute considering the rough nature of early basketball games, which Weller participated in as a member of James Naismith's gym class on December 21, 1891.
After graduating, Weller served as General Secretary for a YMCA branch in Adrian, Michigan. Almost immediately, he knew that he was not suited for the work, and resigned from his position.
Weller moved to California engaging in a couple of different lines of work over the next several decades. He lived in Pasadena, California and had three children, two sons who became doctors, and one daughter who was a teacher.