Pennsylvania's Historic Past

A very rare photograph of George Newmaster (left)) at the 1956 Grand American. Dan Orlich is in the center of the photo while Joe Hiestand is on the right.

The photograph was taken on the evening of August 20th, 1956 after the shootoffs were completed for the first day of the 1956 Grand American. The race was the 200 target Introductory Singles and 664 gunners went to the line for cash and glory. Six shooters tied for the title after 200 straights. Included were Newmaster, Orlich, Hiestand (shown in the photograph) plus Mercer Tennille, Bueford Bailey and Ned Lilly. All but Newmaster are in the ATA Hall of Fame. Lilly declined to shoot-off as he and his son had won the Parent-Child trophy.

After 50 targets there were three left, Newmaster, Orlich and Hiestand. Bailey and Tennille were eliminated. The hour was late and the three agreed to carry over the title the next day during the Singles Class Championships. The photograph was than taken of the three greats. The next day they would be shooting off for the champion, runner-up and Class AA awards.

Joe Hiestand broke another 200 the next day, beating out Newmaster 150-149. Newmaster won the runner-up award and Orlich finished the AA award, breaking 147x150.

George Newmaster with some of his trophies. George had way too
much time on his hands the day the photograph was taken.

There was never any other Pennsylvania shooter quite like George Newmaster. Those that knew him never forgot him. His Model 32 Krieghoff was legend. The last I knew his son Joseph had possession of the gun. That's the gun you see in the GAH photo at the top of this page and the gun he's holding in the second photo with his trophies. I was privileged to shoot with him at the PA State Shoot and the Grand American many, many times. His wife Lena was a Saint. She died first, around 1980. We all knew he couldn't live without her and sure enough he died several years later at age 75, probably of liver failure.

He lived in Myerstown for many years after moving from Lebanon where he was a steel worker. He was inducted into the PA Hall of Fame in June of 1989 and should be an ATA Hall of Famer. Little attention has been paid to his ability to kill pigeons, winning countless pigeon shoots. The first PA Hall of Fame inductions took place in 1988. The first class included Frank Little, who insisted to me that Newmaster, no he, should be in on that historic first class of inductees. Looking back 22 years later, he was correct.

George was an 8 time All American including 4 first team Vet selections in 1974,1976, 1977 and 1978. He was a first team All American in 1956, the year of the above photograph with Orlich and Hiestand. George was also a second team All American in 1958, 1960 and 1961. He won 3 Westy Hogan singles titles and 2 doubles titles at Asbury Park, NJ.

Newmaster won the state singles title in 1954 and in 1942 he was the state handicap champion. He also won three doubles titles, three HAA awards and three HOA titles. He was runner up in singles, handicap and doubles once each. He won the state Vet singles title twice, once when he refused to shootoff for the state singles title back in 1975. Frank Little won the singles title that year with a 199x200. In a strange twist of irony, he never broke 200 straight at a Pennsylvania State Shoot held at Elysburg or any other location.

He led the state in doubles averages five time and the state singles averages eight times. He was second in doubles four times, handicap twice and singles five times.

George also won the ATA Eastern Zone handicap and doubles titles once each and the HAA and the HOA three times each. He also won the Class AA title 5 times on Singles Class Championship day.

In 1942 he won his most prestigious title, the famed Marshall Singles Marathon with a 497x500. Steve Crothers and Joe Hiestand each won the title five times. Mark Arie and Walter Beaver each won it once. In 1959 and 1967 he won the famous NYAC singles title. In 1947 and 1955 he won the Middle Atlantic singles title when the shoot attracted many of the great shooter of America to the South End grounds in Reading, PA.

His collection of Grand American trophies was huge, including the Class AA title with 200 straight in the 1960 Singles Class Championship. George broke 200 straight and another 200 shoot-off targets, beating Hall of Famers like Dan Orlich, C. E. Barnhart, George Snellenberger and Bueford Bailey. His friend Frank Dissinger, also of Lebanon, won the Class A title, also with a 200 straight. This was his most important Grand American trophy.

Photo of Newmaster at the
1960 Grand American.