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 Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, the San Francisco Chronicle, and many other newspapers.
"Opinion: Summer's ending, but there's still time to grow" The Reading Eagle August 30, 2017
"For Stephen Hawking, a brief history of human potential" The Philadelphia Inquirer July 21, 2017
"Growing a better health care policy" The Desert Sun, May 24, 2017
"Please, Melania Trump, Save the White House Kitchen Garden" The Chicago Tribune, January 31, 2017
"How Trump Can Have His Best First 100 Days: Eat His Veggies" The Washington Post, January 7, 2017
"The Only Way to 'Drain the Swamp' for Good" The Wall Street Journal, December 26, 2016
"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 Philadelphia Inquirer
"The winter is a garden, too"The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Daylight Saving - Now Is Not The Time" The Wall Street Journal, October 31, 2014 (subscription required)
"Seeds Of Good Health"The Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia Inquirer July 1, 2010
"A garden in every backyard" The Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia Inquirer May 24, 2011
"Where have all the flowers gone?"The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Common Core standards are 'curriculum upsidedownia'" San Francisco Chronicle August 18, 2013
"Melania Trump's grandfather was an onion farmer. This company wants to make his onion famous" The Washington Post July 18, 2017
"Die Lock-Zwiebel" Spiegel July 7, 2017
"Fans of White House Garden Hope New Tenants Keep It Green" The New York Times July 2, 2017
"Chelsea Flower Show was a showcase supreme" The Providence Journal June 1, 2017
"Tough-as-nails beauties thrive here" The Columbus Dispatch May 28, 2017
"White House kitchen garden will live on during Trump administration" The Dallas Morning News May 4, 2017
"Will first lady Melania Trump OK first beets for White House Kitchen Garden?" The Sacramento Bee March 31, 2017
"Looking for a Trump Doctrine in the White House Kitchen" The New York Times February 27, 2017
"Michelle Obama’s White House kitchen garden to become permanent feature" The Washington Times October 5, 2016
"Burpee's Fordhook Farm: A visit to one of the world's leading seed breeding companies" Cleveland Plain Dealer September 15, 2016
"Free flower seed packets remind of Lady Bird Johnson's legacy" Chicago Tribune May 24, 2016
"Growing bountiful tomatoes a Sacramento tradition, obsession" The Sacramento Bee February 17, 2016
"Living large in the vegetable garden" The Sacramento Bee January 29, 2016
"Gardeners urged to join 'Butterfly and Bee Brigade' to stem pollinator losses" The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier April 12, 2015
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 Philadelphia Inquirer
"How's your garden grow? $1,000 in veggies for a $100 investment? It's easy." The Philadelphia Inquirer April 29, 2010
