A prominent Toledo lawyer, George Ritter worked as a partner with the law firm Kohn, Ritter, Northup, and McMahon before starting his own firm with partner Leland Gardner. It is this partnership, which started in 1917 that led to Ritter’s association with John Willys the owner of Willys Corporation. Ritter served as general counsel to John Willys, and eventually to the company itself until 1953.

An active philanthropist, Ritter made possible the building of the University of Toledo's Ritter Planetarium and Observatory.