George Varnell
George Marshall Varnell was an American track and field athlete, college sports coach, college football official, and sports editor. He competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics, finishing fourth in the 200 metre hurdles event as well as fourth in the 400 metre hurdles competition. Varnell served as the referee during the 1919 Rose Bowl between Oregon and Harvard.
Varnell was born in Chicago, Illinois. He joined the staff of the Spokane Daily Chronicle in 1908 and later became sports editor for the newspaper. He moved to Seattle, Washington in 1925, where was a sports editor and associated editor for The Seattle Times until his retirement in 1966. Varnell died on February 4, 1967, at a hospital in Seattle, following an illness lasting 18 months.
