He attended Hope College for a year before enlisting in the U.S. Army; during his service he was stationed in Baumholder.

[3] His degrees from Rutgers were in biochemistry, with minors in physical chemistry; he researched under the laboratory of Frank F.

[7][8] He worked during college by driving a beer truck and operating a floor waxing business with his brother.

[10] George died on April 13, 2021, aged 85, in Grand Rapids, Michigan,[b] following a battle with Parkinson's disease.

[13][14] His positions held within the NCI include head of the Human Tumor Studies and the Virus Tumor Biochemistry sections starting in 1972, chief of the Laboratory of Molecular Oncology starting 1980, and from 1983 until 1998 as director of the Advanced Bioscience Laboratories–Basic Research Program at Frederick.