Babbitt, George

Born in Flagstaff on June 4, 1899, George Babbitt, Jr. was a member of the well-known Babbitt Family of Flagstaff, Arizona. His father, George Babbitt, Sr., came to Northern Arizona in 1886 with four brothers. The brothers set up a trading post and soon expanded into the ranching business. The Babbitts rapidly acquired political power in Northern Arizona and throughout the territory. George Babbitt, Jr. went to college at Loyola University in Los Angeles, California. By 1920 he had finished his Bachelor of Arts and went on to be awarded a Master of Arts from Loyola. Throughout the 1920s, he worked at various jobs, including sales manager for the Babbitt Brothers Trading Post from 1927-1930. During the 1930s, Babbitt served as Coconino County Democratic Committee chairman. In 1936 he became Postmaster of Flagstaff and continued in that position until 1953. In 1942 Babbitt organized the Babbitt Investment Company, which he later merged with his own George Babbitt Land Company to form the George Babbitt Company in 1957. Among his contributions was his service to business and community organizations. He was a board member or chairman of as many as twenty organizations ranging from the Bank of Flagstaff to the Pioneer Living History Museum to the National Mental Health Association. He helped form the Greater Arizona, Inc. which became one of the forerunners of the Arizona Town Hall. After his first wife, Ruth Behn, died, he married Madeline Hunter, a Los Angeles real estate broker. In 1964 the Babbitts moved from Sedona to paradise Valley, where George Babbitt had contributed land to the new country club. His interests beyond business were principally in history and historic preservation. He was a member of the Arizona Historical Society and the Northern Arizona Pioneers' Historical Society. Babbitt collected many rare books and informational material on topics ranging from water development to Northern Arizona History. He also conducted oral interviews of some of Arizona's oldest living pioneers. George Babbitt, Jr. died October 24, 1980.