george morton levy
Year of Induction:
1967
Year of Birth:
1888
Immortal:
Yes
Executive Official:
Yes
Executive:
Yes
Election Into Living Hall of Fame:
1966
Year of Death:
1977
Biography:
"The Godfather" of modern harness racing, George Morton Levy was born in Seaford, Long Island, New York in 1888. He first reached national prominence as a criminal lawyer. In 1940 he founded Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, Long Island and revised the flagging sport with such innovations as night racing, the Phillips' starting gate and elimination of heat racing. Levy's perseverance is credited for having saved the sport from being relegated to the county fair circuit. Elected into the Living Hall of Fame in 1966, George Morton Levy died at age eighty-nine in 1977.
Published in the Harness Racing Museum's 1994 book, The Immortals
Museum statuette sculpted by Bev Lopez (1922-2014)