George Varoff (March 25, 1914 – January 10, 2002) was a three-time national champion at Oregon and set world records in the pole vault. It was the era of the bamboo pole and Varoff was a savant at a time when the University of Southern California was dominant in the event. 
Varoff grew up in San Francisco and was a multi-sport athlete. He was already well-known in the amatuer ranks, competing for the Olympic Club in SF when he chose UO to train under coach Bill Hayward. In the summer of 1936, Varoff set a world record of 14-6 1/2 but missed qualifying for the Summer Games in Berlin by finishing 4th at the trials. He would win the AAU national title that year, than two more while competing for Oregon. Varoff was a three-time Northern Division champion (1937-1939) and Pacific Coast champion in 1938. He improved his outdoor best to 14-7 5/8 by 1939 and set a World Indoor Record along the way.
George would have been a contender for the 1940 Games but war would cancel those plans. Varoff retired from sport and after graduation, joined the Army Air Corps where he rose to rank of Captain and survived being shot down during World War II.
George Varoff was inducted into the University of Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994.