George P. Bataitis

¯ Born Sept. 1, 1927 in Syracuse, George P. Bataitis was orphaned at 8 years old. He attended the House of Providence, Christian Brothers Academy and graduated from the Most Holy Rosary School in Syracuse in 1944. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College in 1953 and a master’s degree at SUNY Buffalo in 1965.

¯ A veteran of the U.S. Navy — he was a submariner on the USS Raquin — during World War II, Bataitis came to Jamestown in 1954 to accept a job as the physical education director at the Boys’ Club. Two years later he was hired at Jamestown Community College, which at the time, was located next door to the Boys’ Club on Allen Street. The Boys’ Club facility was used by the college for its physical education programming.

¯ Bataitis was the athletic director at Jamestown Community College for the next 33 years. He taught physical education and served as interim dean of students. He also was the basketball, baseball, bowling and golf coach for many years. Bataitis was part of the Jamestown CC administrative team that relocated the college to its current Falconer Street location in 1962.

¯ Because of his significant impact in the development and growth of the athletic programs at the college, he was fondly regarded as “The Father of Jamestown CC Athletics.” He retired in 1988.

¯ Bataitis received the Jamestown CC Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1979 and 1984, and he also was the recipient of the State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1984.

¯ Bataitis’ favorite hobby was playing golf, and upon his retirement from Jamestown CC, the George Bataitis Open Golf Tournament was formed to fund the George Bataitis Athletic Fund. This fund provides scholarships for male and female athletes attending Jamestown CC.

¯ He was presented the John D. Hamilton Humanitarian Award by the Jamestown CC Foundation in 2008.

¯ He died Oct. 11, 2014 in Jamestown.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a series of biographies of members of the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2020. The information is courtesy of CSHOF president Randy Anderson.