George E. Barnes served as the president of the USTA, the National Educational Tennis Foundation, the Chicago Tennis Patrons, and was a board member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. During his presidency, he initiated the USTA membership program, the age classification was changed from under-15 and under-18 to 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18-and-under divisions, and the Federation Cup. Originally from River Forest, Illinois, Barnes received the Chicago Press Club’s 1961 Sportsman of the Year Award and served as the chairperson of the George Barnes Family Tennis Center of San Diego, California.