Paul Hartwell

With honesty, fairness and innovation,  Paul Hartwell did more to upgrade the sport of greyhound racing than any other racing official.

Hartwell devoted most of his life to the sport. In 1925 he quit a job at an oil refinery and went to work at a greyhound track in Chicago. He became racing secretary at the Fairview track (Chicago) in 1927, and except for a short stint in 1928, he was a racing secretary or presiding judge for the rest of his life, contributing 54 years of service to the industry

The grading system used today in racing was first used by Hartwell at Cavalier Kennel Club in 1950. Many other methods and, more importantly, attitudes toward judging races, making races, weighing dogs, making charts, etc. that are in use today were implemented by Hartwell many years ago.

Hartwell’s impartiality, integrity and unswerving fairness did much to build public confidence in the sport. Greyhound owners and the public knew that Hartwell’s racing department was fair and square. Wherever he was an official, the sport prospered.

What held Hartwell’s interest in racing all those years? “The people,” he once said. “The greyhound people are happy-go-lucky, and when the chips are down, they’re all pretty good guys. When anyone gets in trouble, there’s not a better bunch of stand-up guys.”

Hartwell was the first person ever chosen while still living for induction into the Hall of Fame. However, he passed away July 25, 1979, three months before he was officially inducted. At the time of his death, he was still serving as racing secretary at Southland and Hollywood.