George Washington Ward was born in Woodbine, Maryland, on the 24th of February, 1867. He received his education at a one room school in Daisy, Maryland. After graduating from this school, he returned as its teacher, from 1885-1887. Starting in 1887, Ward attended Western Maryland College. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1890. After graduation, Ward went on to serve as assistant secretary of the Y.M.C.A. in Chicago, and then he went on the serving as an assistant instructor in the Preparatory school of Western Maryland College, of which he became principal in 1891. Ward enrolled in graduate school at Johns Hopkins, and while he was pursing his Master of Arts degree, he was elected to the chair of history at Western Maryland. He continued to pursue his studies and received his Master of Arts degree from Western Maryland in 1893 and a doctor of philosophy degree from Johns Hopkins in 1897. After receiving his degrees, Dr. Ward continued as a history professor at Western Maryland College until 1905. Along with his history professorship, Dr. Ward wrote many articles regarding history. During the summers of 1898, 1899, and 1900, Dr. Ward lectured at the Mountain Chautauqua at Mountain Lake Park, a summer school for scholars, teachers, writers, and statesmen. Dr. Ward became a member of the Southern Educational Association in 1839, as well as the Maryland Organizer for that association. Dr. Ward was also a member of the Maryland Teacher's Institute, where he sometimes lectured, as well as a member of the Maryland Historical Society and the American Historical Association. In 1905, Ward was elected Principal to the Maryland State Normal School. He began holding bi-weekly faculty meetings in 1906 to help inspire the instructors and keep them abreast of the most advanced teaching practices. His other duties were much like those of his predecessors – caring for the physical plant of the school, and acting as a surrogate parent to the students. He worked for a time as a financial broker, but returned to academia, teaching history at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute from 1917 until 1932. He died in Baltimore on June 18, 1932. In 1951, Ward Hall, one of two dormitories constructed for men, was dedicated in his honor.