George Wood Wingate


George Wood Wingate was an American lawyer and organizer of rifle practice. During the Civil War he served in a New York regiment, and later supervised the construction of elevated railways in Brooklyn. In 1867 Wingate drew up rules for systematic rifle practice by Company A, 22d regiment, New York National Guard, of which he was then captain. The publication of these rules led to the organization of the National Rifle Association of America, of which he was first secretary and later president from 1886 to 1900. Besides special articles on military subjects he published:
The Public Schools Athletic League, commonly referred to as the PSAL, was first formed in 1903 as an organization supported by money provided by the private sector under a group of people called the PSAL Wingate Fund. General George W. Wingate was its first presidents and leader. He would go on to serve for over 25 years. Today, the PSAL is funded by the New York City Board of Education. However, as recently as 2003, The PSAL Wingate Fund continued its traditions of honoring former and present PSAL athletes.

Honors

, a public high school in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, now closed, was named for Wingate. The campus is now home to several schools in the New York City Public School system. The campus's sports teams are known as the 'Generals', for Wingate's rank in the New York National Guard. The General GW Wingate Athletic Field in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn is named for him. The naming was in recognition of Wingate's role in founding, and long service as the first President of the Public Schools Athletic League.