George T. Hepbron was one of basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

's first referees

Official (basketball)

In basketball, an official is a person who has the responsibility to enforce the rules and maintain the order of the game. The title of official also applies to the scorers and timekeepers, as well as other personnel that have an active task in maintaining the game...

 and rules pioneers. He is also credited with writing the game's first book, How to Play Basketball, in 1904.

Hepbron was a close friend of Dr. James Naismith

James Naismith

The first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops,...

, and subsequently played a major role in the early development of the game, especially in the area of rules. Active in many sports organizations, Hepbron was the first secretary of the Amateur Athletic Union

Amateur Athletic Union

The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...

 (AAU) Basketball Committee (1896) and in 1915, became secretary of the newly formed National Basketball Rules Committee (NBRC).

Hepbron was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960 as a referee.