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 may 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.

George Ball's opinion articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Philadelphia Inquirer, the San Francisco Chronicle, and many other newspapers.

Published works

• "George Ball: Happy birthday: e pluribus garden" Omaha World-Herald, July 4, 2016
• "Ode to the Original Workplace" Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 6, 2015
• "Our Personal Climate Change" The Philadephia Inquirer
• "The winter is a garden, too" The Philadephia Inquirer
• "Daylight Saving - Now Is Not The Time" The Wall Street Journal, October 31, 2014 (subscription required)
• "Seeds Of Good Health" The Philadephia Inquirer
• "Find Sanctuary in Gardens" The Post and Courier (Charleston, South Carolina) December 25, 2013
• 2011: "The Year of the Vegetable" The Wall Street Journal, July 3, 2011 (subscription required)
• "George Ball: Mix and match" Star Tribune (Minneapolis), February 20, 2009
• "Seeds: Nature's Microchips" The Wall Street Journal, August 14, 2009 (subscription required)
• "Naturalism Has Been Hijacked" The Wall Street Journal, June 13, 2009 (subscription required)
• "Border War" The New York Times March 19, 2006
• "How Does Your Garden Grow?; Stand Up For Hybrids" The New York Times Marcy 21, 1993
• "Heirloom fundamentalists go too green" The Atlanta Journal-Constitution July 26, 2010
• "Allow resolutions to grow, bear fruit" The Atlanta Journal-Constitution December 29, 2009
• "The empire beckons back?" The Philadephia Inquirer July 1, 2010
• "A garden in every backyard" The Philadephia Inquirer July 3, 2009
• "$11 million is fair price for Heronswood botanical garden" Seattle Post-Intelligencer August 3, 2006
• "Politicians should cultivate Garden Party" Seattle Post-Intelligencer October 2, 2006
• "Springtime for veggies" Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 21, 2011
• "Garden of Manners on First Day of Spring" The Providence Journal
• Sober "Reflection is in Order" The Philadephia Inquirer June 10, 2010
• "Grow Your Investment" The Providence Journal
• "Consider Massive 'Manmade Personal Climate Change'" The Providence Journal
• 2011: "The Year of the Vegetable" The Wall Street Journal January 3, 2011
• "We, The Vegetables"
• "We, The Flowers"
• Garden Of Bargains
• How To Turn Your Castle Into A Home
• Diamond In The Rough
• Green Estate
• "How our public gardens can grow" The Philadephia Inquirer June 21, 2011
• Paging Dr. Green
• Turning Over The Political Soil
• Ode To Green Autumn Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 25, 2011
• Hybrid veggies are the cream of the crop The Philadephia Inquirer December 23, 2011
• Irish roots: The potato's role in history goes far beyond the famine Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 16, 2012
• "Independence Day is America's 'Happiness' holiday" Lincoln Journal Star July 3, 2012
• "The People v. Broccoli'" Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• "The season of salvation" The Providence Journal
• "Take one dose of Happiness Garden" The Philadephia Inquirer May 24, 2011
• "Where have all the flowers gone?" The Philadephia Inquirer
• "Common Core standards are 'curriculum upsidedownia'" San Francisco Chronicle August 18, 2013

Quoted stories

• George Ball on the future of gardening
• "Burpee promotes 'fast-food garden'" Milwaukee Journal Sentinel January 25, 2011
• "Want your kids to eat right? Hand them some seeds" Houston Chronicle January 21, 2011
• "Plant breeders develop seeds for colorful edibles" Milwaukee Journal Sentinel January 25, 2011
• "Tomato lovers sound off on heirlooms vs. hybrids" USA Today June 14, 2010
• "You Say Tomato. They Say Phony." The Wall Street Journal April 21, 2010
• "A White House garden that produces more than vegetables" USA Today April 13, 2009
• "Economy turns gardening into growth industry" NBC News March 15, 2009
• "Cuttings; Where Burpee First Tilled" The New York Times August 23, 1992
• "Cuttings; A Test Garden That Does Burpee Proud" The New York Times September 15, 2002
• "Sew your seeds indoors" The Philadephia Inquirer
• "How's your garden grow? $1,000 in veggies for a $100 investment? It's easy." The Philadephia Inquirer April 29, 2010