George E. Jonas (December 22, 1897 – August 25, 1978) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of the Louis August Jonas Foundation and Camp Rising Sun, a full scholarship, international summer camp in Red Hook, New York. Originally for boys aged 14–16, a girls' camp was added in 1989. After Jonas' retirement from business, he devoted the rest of his life to the camp. Biography George Edward Jonas was the son of Louise and Louis August Jonas, who started an international business at the turn of the 20th century making felt hats. The business became very successful and the family became quite wealthy. Jonas attended the Naval Officers Training School during World War I and graduated from Columbia College, Columbia University in 1919. He served in the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. Jonas worked in his father's business, both in France and the United States. He was a partner in the Pellessier-Jonas-Rivet Manufacturing Company for many years. Growing up in privilege and wealth, Jonas was troubled by the advantages he had in comparison to others. Having pondered what he, as a lone individual, could do to help bring some stability and peace to the world, Jonas saw helping youth as the answer. At the age of 32, shortly after the stock market crash of 1929, Jonas bought a tract of land about north of New York City, in the Hudson River Valley in upstate New York. The property had a 200-year-old farmhouse (originally called "the Valley" and now the "Old House" at Camp Rising Sun) and barn that once belonged to Robert Livingston, the colonial leader. and subsequently his grandson, Robert G. Livingston Jr. (1749-1791) Jonas established a foundation in memory of his father, who died in 1915, to set up and administer and fund the camp, which was to be tuition-free. The foundation was located in nearby Rhinebeck. Camp Rising Sun opens According to camp alumnus Pete Seeger, Jonas originally wanted to call the camp "Rising Son" and make a play on words. Jonas felt that for teenagers to rise in the world, they needed to be exposed to other types of people, so he intentionally invited boys of different backgrounds to his camp. (When Seeger attended the camp, it was in the very early years and campers were all from New York City; the differing backgrounds were religious.) The camp was