George Willis Ritchey (December 31, 1864 – November 4, 1945) was an American optician and telescope maker and astronomer born at Tuppers Plains, Ohio.

He worked closely with George Ellery Hale, first at Yerkes Observatory and later at Mt.

He played a major role in designing the mountings and making the mirrors of the Mt.

He returned to America in 1930 and obtained a contract to build a Ritchey-Chrétien telescope for the U.S.

In 1924, he received the Prix Jules Janssen, the highest award of the Société astronomique de France, the French astronomical society.