Retired professor George Bedell, founding chair of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM), died Sept. 2 in Rockport, Maine.
Born in Connecticut in 1919, he was educated in the United States and served in the armed forces before coming to Guelph in 1969 to establish the School of Hotel and Food Administration (now HTM) and its signature degree program, which he taught until his retirement in 1984. He was a recipient of the Queen’s 25th-anniversary medal in 1977 and the Man of The Year award in1981 from the Canadian Restaurant Foundation.
The HTM Students’ Administrative Council presents the annual George D. Bedell Prize to a graduating student who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, community involvement and a sense of professionalism.
He is survived by his wife, Louise; their son, George; two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. A memorial service was held Sept. 9 at the First Congregational Church in Camden, Maine.