William Andrew White II (June 16, 1874 – September 9, 1936) was a Canadian chaplain and military officer from

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

who was commissioned as the first black officer in the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also res ...

. He served in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

as a

military chaplain A military chaplain ministers to military personnel and, in most cases, their families and civilians working for the military. In some cases they will also work with local civilians within a military area of operations. Although the term ''cha ...

, the only black officer in the Canadian military during the war. He and his wife had thirteen children, many of whom achieved national distinction. They included classical singer

Portia White Portia May White (June 24, 1911February 13, 1968) was a Canadian contralto, known for becoming the first Black Canadian concert singer to achieve international fame. Growing up as part of her father's church choir in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Whit ...

and politicians Bill White and

Jack White John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975), commonly known as Jack White, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the duo the White Stripes. White has enjoyed consistent critical and popular success and is widely c ...

. In 1936, White was awarded an honorary doctorate from

Acadia University Acadia University is a public, predominantly undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, with some graduate programs at the master's level and one at the doctoral level. The enabling legislation consists of the Acadia ...

, the first Black Canadian to be given an honorary doctorate.

Early years

White, who like his father went by his middle name, Andrew, was born in 1874 to former slaves in King and Queen County,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. He moved to the city of

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, where he lived with his brother and attended Wayland Seminary in Washington. After Helena Blackadar, a Canadian Baptist missionary and school

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

of his, impressed him with descriptions of the province, where freed American slaves had been resettled after the Revolutionary War, White moved to

in 1900. He had imagined this land as his key to freedom. He became the second black man accepted by

, and in 1903 became its first black graduate. White graduated with an arts degree in

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

, and was ordained a Baptist minister. He worked the next two years as a traveling missionary for the African Baptist churches of Nova Scotia.

Family

White met and married Izie Dora White (no relation) of Mill Village, Nova Scotia. She was a descendant of Black Loyalists. Together they raised a family of thirteen children. One of their daughters, Portia White, became a world-famous singer. Son Bill White Jr., became the first Black Canadian to run for federal political office in Canada when he stood as a candidate for the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation in the 1949 federal election. Son

Jack Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...

, was a noted Canadian

labour union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits (su ...

activist and the second black candidate to run for office in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

World War I

In 1916, White enlisted in the

No. 2 Construction Battalion The No. 2 Construction Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), was raised in Nova Scotia and was one of two predominantly Black battalions in Canadian military history and the only Canadian battalion composed of Black soldiers to serve i ...

, an all-black segregated unit serving in

. He was the only black chaplain in the

Canadian military } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force ...

and was a commissioned officer serving with the rank of Honorary Captain.

Ministry

Following the war, White returned to Halifax and was called to

Cornwallis Street Baptist Church New Horizons Baptist Church is a Baptist church in Halifax, Nova Scotia that was established by Black Refugees in 1832. When the chapel was completed, black citizens of Halifax were reported to be proud because it was evidence that former slaves ...

. He served as rector for more than 17 years. During the early 1930s, his services were broadcast over the radio every month, and they were heard throughout

the Maritimes The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes had a population of 1,899,324 in 2021, which makes up 5.1% of C ...

. He died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

on September 9, 1936 in Halifax."William A. White Death Record"
Nova Scotia Archives

Legacy and honours

*He was the first black person to be honoured with a Doctorate of Divinity from Acadia. *White and Izie Dora's grandchildren include Senator Donald Oliver, politician and activist Sheila White, and folk musician Chris White. The novelist and playwright

George Elliott Clarke George Elliott Clarke, (born February 12, 1960) is a Canadian poet, playwright and literary critic who served as the Poet Laureate of Toronto from 2012 to 2015 and as the 2016–2017 Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate. His work is known larg ...

is a great-grandson. *Actor and filmmaker Anthony Sherwood, produced a docu-drama entitled, "Honour Before Glory". This was based on the diary of Wm. Andrew White while he served in France during the Great War.

References and notes

External links

Pictorial on black history, Nova Scotia: William A. White
{{DEFAULTSORT:White, William A. 1874 births 1936 deaths Acadia University alumni American emigrants to Canada Black Nova Scotians Canadian clergy Canadian military personnel of World War I People from Colchester County People from King and Queen County, Virginia Canadian military chaplains World War I chaplains People from Baltimore