Who was George Mason? Basketball fans or not, most folks don't have a clue

South Florida Sun Sentinel ^ | March 31, 2006 | Robert Nolin

[MassRepublicanFlyersFan]

So who was George Mason and what's he doing with a university named after him?

"Did he invent the Mason jar?" Melanie Ruggiero, 32, of Green Cove Springs, near Jacksonville, mused as she nibbled on salad outside a Fort Lauderdale beach restaurant.

[MassRepublicanFlyersFan]

Some of these answers...yikes!

[mc5cents]

"He invented the beer, right?" attempted Gary Crouthamel, 46, of Ocean City, Md., as he hoisted one himself on Fort Lauderdale beach.

"No!" corrected pal Mike DePalma, 37, of Pennsylvania. "That was Samuel Adams."

LOL My favorite.

[Wisconsin]

The inventor of the Mason jar?
The inventor of mason's twine?
The inventor of masonry?

[katieanna]

Shame that the answers are so bad. Seems the mascot name 'Patriots' would have been an indicator. Sigh...

[texianyankee]

"He's been described as the most important man who never became president," said George Mason University spokesman Dan Walsch.

That also describes my Dad.

[randita]

George Mason U. has an enrollment of nearly 30K. But it is primarily a commuter school - hardly any on campus housing.

[Fintan]

Having read some of the responses, I'd say these kids have bright futures as Democrats.

[HEY4QDEMS]

The article says he wrote the Virginia Bill of Rights.

I thought it was called the 'Virginia Declaration of Rights'

Oh well, I guess I learned something today.

[patton]

I am a graduate of George Mason University, and George Mason HS, and...lol

I am loving this.

[Clioman]

No, no. no! George Mason invented Masonite!!

[advance_copy]

Who do you think will win the NCAA basketball championship?

FReep the poll at link... Go Patriots!



BTW, they tell you about George Mason in freshman orientation. And, if you take HIST 101, they tell you again.

[BerniesFriend]

I am a graduate of George Mason University, and George Mason HS

Wow..you graduated from college before high school..hs must have been a breeze after college..lol..;>

[patton]

lol

[The_Victor]

The inventor of the Mason jar?
The inventor of mason's twine?
The inventor of masonry?

Founder of the Free Masons, of course.

[G.Mason]

There really was a G.Mason?

[MassRepublicanFlyersFan]

Yup, the second President of the United States :-)

[massgopguy]

Wasn't he in Journey to the Center of the Earth?

[Jason_b]

LINK Gunston Hall

Virgina Declaration of Rights

[Tribune7]

Ån American hero who sacrificed his life to save Los Angeles from a nuclear bomb and to allow Jack Bauer to be reunited with his lovely daughter.

[MassRepublicanFlyersFan]

That would be Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes, except it was the mind and not the Earth. :-)

Signed, Jules Verne.

[detsaoT]

Mason was a Virginia statesman and neighbor of George Washington. He wrote Virginia's Bill of Rights, the model for the one in the U.S. Constitution. He could have signed the Declaration of Independence, but chose not to because, as a strong opponent of slavery, he was disappointed the document didn't address that issue.

Bwa hahaha! Wow, the myth takes a new turn. Now, he's supposed to not have signed the Declaration of Independence!

Reporters, generally, have zero clues about history. Please refer to the previous thread on this topic to see a rebuttal of the "common knowledge" that keeps getting trumped about.

(BTW, I attend George Mason University, and I can assure you that no history of the man is being taught there. ;) )

[Gunflint]

I had a Political Science Prof. at school who claimed to be a direct descendant of Mason.

First class, the then current nomination of Judge Bork for Supreme Court was brought up. This Prof starts to turn purple, screaming that Bork has a beard, Bork doesn't belong, Bork is too arrogant, etc.

I then knew how to 'play' that course, and refrained from asking where in the Bill of Rights his ancestor put abortion, and health care.

[Fiji Hill]

George Mason has a good basketball team. Maybe George Mason was a famous basketball player.

[muawiyah]

A brotherinlaw, a sisterinlaw and so forth and so on are alumni. They sure never expected GMU to turn into an athletic powerhouse.

Everybody is watching this game.

[patton]

The school is glad of the publicity. ;)

[beyond the sea]

Jackie Mason's hilarious uncle?

[sanjacjake]

He was ne of the original framers of the Constitution
and refused to sign it because it lacked a bill of rights.
Jake

[patton]

you think I don't know this? LOL.

[Virginia-American]

I grew up in Fairfax Co. We took field trips to Mt. Vernon and Gunston Hall.

The old Courthouse in Fairfax has a big mural in the lobby: George Mason and George Washington surveying the boundaries of Fairfax Co.

[P.O.E.]

"He invented the beer, right?"

Paul's brother, maybe?

[VOA]

bump

[VOA]

Thanks for jogging my memory:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/24/characters/george_mason.shtml

[Tribune7]

You're welcome.

[sanjacjake]

You do now...dummy. Jake