George Bednar

George John Bednar (16 de marzo de 1942 - 6 de diciembre de 2007) fue un jugador de fútbol americano universitario de la Universidad de Notre Dame , que posteriormente se convirtió en ejecutivo de negocios. Es conocido principalmente por su trayectoria como ejecutivo de marketing en McKesson Imports Company, donde desempeñó un papel fundamental en la popularización del cóctel Harvey Wallbanger .

Bednar nació en Kingston, Pensilvania , y asistió a la escuela secundaria Central Catholic en Kingston (ahora fusionada con la escuela secundaria Holy Redeemer en Wilkes-Barre). Se graduó de Central Catholic en 1960, tras haber destacado como jugador de fútbol americano en la escuela secundaria.

Luego asistió a la Universidad de Notre Dame en South Bend, Indiana, donde jugó como guardia ofensivo y tackle defensivo para el equipo de fútbol americano Notre Dame Fighting Irish del entrenador Joe Kuharich de 1960 a 1963. Después de terminar su carrera universitaria, Bednar jugó en el Blue-Grey All-Star Game y en el College All-Star Game. ^{[ 1 ]} Bednar se graduó de la Universidad de Notre Dame en 1964 con una licenciatura en economía y se casó. ^{[ 1 ]}

Bednar fue seleccionado por los St. Louis Cardinals de la Liga Nacional de Fútbol Americano (NFL) en la octava ronda del draft de la NFL de 1964. Aunque firmó con los Cardinals, nunca jugó un partido de temporada regular de la NFL.

Bednar became the marketing/sales director for McKesson Imports Company.^[1] Bednar marketed the Harvey Wallbanger cocktail in the early 1970s by suggesting bartenders on America's West Coast promote the cocktail.^[1][2] During this time, McKesson hired graphic artist Bill Young to develop a "Harvey Wallbanger" character to market the drink, which tends to negate the attribution of the drink and its name to bartender Donatao "Duke" Antone.^[3] Various authors have speculated that Bednar may have commissioned recipe for the drink itself from Antone, or developed it internally.^[3]

The drink is composed of vodka, orange juice and Galliano liqueur, then a product of McKesson Imports.^[4] Sales of Galliano quadrupled after Bednar helped develop the Wallbanger character and tagline "Harvey Wallbanger is the name... And I can be made!"^[1][4]

Building on his success at McKesson, Bednar later became an entrepreneur. He founded International Marketing Group, Inc. in 1976 to provide marketing consulting services to the wine and spirits industry, and creating promotions for Bacardi, Stolichnaya, and Johnny Walker.^[4]

In the early 1980s, Bednar and business partner Anthony Wright founded Promotion Systems, Inc. to provide promotion and marketing consulting services to broader companies, such as Johnson & Johnson, Playtex and Seagrams.^[4] In 2004, Bednar founded SunCalc, Ltd., which marketed sunlight measuring devices to home gardeners.

Bednar was a shooting sports enthusiast in later life. In 1981, Bednar bought the Sandanona Shooting Preserve in Millbrook, New York, the oldest private shooting preserve in the United States. Bednar built a premier shooting school on the premises as well as a sporting clays course. A top-tier sporting clays competitor, Bednar also served on the board of directors of the Sporting Clays Association of America.

In 1964, Bednar married his wife Francis. They had three children. At the time of his death from a prolonged illness in 2007, he had eight grandchildren.^[4]