McMath address ESCBA, a group he founded 36 years ago

Pictured: George McMath, center, was recently the speaker for the Eastern Shore Christian Businessmen’s Association, an organization he founded in 1989. At left is Bill Sterling, a charter member of the organization. At right is Jerry Phillips, the ESCBA president.

By Bill Sterling

George McMath, the founder and first president of the Eastern Shore Christian Businessmen’s Association, was the speaker for the organization’s June 24 meeting at the Island House Restaurant in Wachapreague.

McMath, 92, said he was inspired to start the Association in 1989 after his prayers were answered when his mother miraculously recovered from a serious illness. “There was no doubt in my mind I was called to start a men’s Christian organization when I called my father at the hospital and learned my mother was well,” explained McMath.

He gathered 10 men and launched the Eastern Shore Christian Businessmen’s Association to encourage the highest ethical standards in all business, professional, community, and personal dealings. The group had 100 charter members and eventually grew to over 130.

Speakers throughout the group’s 36-year history have included high-ranking government officials—including the governor of Virginia, a U.S. senator, and a congressman—as well as leaders in business, religion, sports, and education, including at least five presidents of state universities.

McMath, speaking alongside Blake Johnson, said he always tried to offer a kind word when he experienced good service or a warm welcome. An avid letter writer who has rarely used email, McMath has sent countless handwritten letters—often to people he didn’t know personally—to congratulate them on honors or achievements. “If I saw I could provide a little lift to someone who needed it, I hoped I could have an impact on their lives,” he said.

He recalled one of his earliest letters, written in the 1960s to Vernon Bell—seated just a few feet away at the luncheon—when Bell was elected Model Youth Governor of Virginia as a Central High School student. Bell’s mother saved the letter until her death, and Bell still has it today.

McMath estimates he has written several thousand letters over the years. Among the 23 books he has authored, one focuses on letter writing and includes some of his favorites.

Another book features his favorite quotations. Two he often cites include one from his father: “Anything worth doing is worth doing right,” and another he frequently applied to politics and journalism: “We can always disagree without being disagreeable.”

A graduate of the University of Virginia, McMath earned a master’s degree in Government, Organization, and Management from American University in Washington, D.C.—three fields that defined his career.

At just 25, with help from his parents, McMath partnered with Ben Byrd to purchase the Eastern Shore News, owning two-thirds of the company. By 1989, when he sold it, the company had grown to 32 newspapers across five states and won numerous press awards. Their motto: “Community Papers that Care.”

McMath was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates at age 31 and was re-elected seven times before stepping down to serve as state chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. In that role, he helped elect a governor, the state’s first Republican attorney general, and a state senator.

In 1978, McMath organized the largest political convention, by number of delegates, ever held by a U.S. political party at that time.

He has received countless awards at both the local and state levels, but perhaps the most unique honor came from the Eastern Shore of Virginia Historical Society, which named him one of eight notable individuals ever to live on the Shore. Others on the list include Revolutionary War General John Cropper, U.S. Secretary of State Abel Upshur, and Governor Henry A. Wise.

McMath has also been a leading fundraiser on the Shore, helping raise millions of dollars for local projects. He has chaired campaigns for a hospital, two community health centers, a new Chamber of Commerce, a retirement home, and a cancer center.

While McMath remains mentally sharp, health issues have affected his physical strength. He chose to remain seated during his address to the Association, with his close friend and lunch partner Blake Johnson—owner of the Island House—holding the microphone and turning his notes. Johnson made a special effort to attend, flying in from Baltimore that morning after attending a baseball game with his son. After the luncheon, he headed to Norfolk to catch a flight to Albany, where he would reunite with his wife and son Wyatt for a youth baseball tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y.