George Alexander Sweatt was born in 1893 in Humboldt, Kansas. He attended an integrated school, where he excelled academically and athletically, participating in football, track, baseball, and literary activities. Despite facing racial discrimination from his community, he frequently won sports events and championship titles. After high school, George moved from Humboldt to Emporia, earning an athletic scholarship to attend the Kansas State Normal School. George lost his scholarship due to excessive absences from illness, then returned to Iola to rejoin the Go-Devils baseball team.