For 28 years (1971–1999), George Bitzas’s tenor voice started home football games with the “Star Spangled Banner.” He joined the music faculty in 1965 as an assistant professor of voice. His first appearance on Shields-Watkins Field was to sing the tenor aria La Donne e Mobile in a halftime show titled “Back to Bluegrass.” Director of Bands WJ Julian then recruited him for regular national anthem duty. He retired from regular teaching in December 1998 and became professor emeritus. In November 2000 he was honored at a gala benefit dinner, and a voice scholarship was created in his name to recognize his teaching, singing, and community service work.
Born in Tsamata, Greece, he and his family immigrated to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where he played ice hockey eight hours a day. He attended the Citadel for one year (his family having moved to South Carolina where his father was a minister in the Greek Orthodox Church) and then went to Converse College to major in music. He taught at Limestone College in Gaffney, South Carolina, before coming to UT.