Researching George Tucker

Tucker was a son of the first mayor of Hamilton, Bermuda, Daniel Tucker (1746-1812). He immigrated to Virginia at age 20, was educated at the College of William and Mary, and was admitted to the bar. His first marriage to Mary Farley ended childless with her death in 1799; he remarried and had six children with wife Maria Carter, who died at age 38 in 1823. His third wife of 30 years was Louisa Thompson, who died in 1858.

Aside from his law practice, Tucker wrote distinctive compositions for various publications. His topics ranged widely from the conceptual to the technical—from slavery, suffrage, and morality to intracoastal navigation, wages, and banking. He was elected in 1816 to the Virginia House of Delegates for one term, and served in the United States House of Representatives from 1819 to 1825. From his youth until early middle age, Tucker's lofty social lifestyle was often profligate, and occasionally scandalous. Nevertheless, upon completion of his congressional term, his eloquent publications led Thomas Jefferson and James Madison to offer him an appointment as Professor of Moral Philosophy at the newly founded University of Virginia; he accepted and held that post until 1845.

After retiring, Tucker relocated to Philadelphia, continuing his research, and expounding upon a variety of subjects, which included monetary policy and socio-economics, until his death in Virginia at the age of 85.

He represented Puerto Rico in the luge event at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, and was the only Puerto Rican representative at the Games. He was also the country's flagbearer. Tucker was, at the time, a doctoral student at Wesleyan University in the United States. He was later described by Sports Illustrated as "overweight but quick-witted" and as "the press's favorite loser". He finished last in his event, and reportedly "got a lot more press in the States than Paul Hildgartner, the Italian who won the gold medal". He described himself as "the luger who dripped blood", and Time reported that he "shed alarming amounts of skin bouncing off the wall".

Tucker represented Puerto Rico again at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, but was, this time, one of nine Puerto Rican competitors. Tucker competed in the luge with teammate Raul Muniz. This time, he did not finish last.

According to Puerto Rican bobsled coach Rich Kolko, Tucker in 1984 "set the standard for Caribbean nations competing" in Winter sports - such as the Jamaican bobsled team.