Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 11-28-17

Feature
Tampa Icon, Alton White, Laid To Rest
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
A popular Tampa icon passed away early last Wednesday. Funeral services for Mr. Alton Maurice White, Sr., were held at 11 a.m., Monday. Interment will take place on Tuesday at Rest Haven Memorial Park Ceme- tery.
Mr. White had battled Parkinson’s disease for sev- eral years. He was 77-years- old.
Funeral services for Mr. White were held at Beulah Institutional Baptist Church, where he had been a long- time member.
In mid 1960s, after com- pleting his educational quest, Mr. White embarked on a career in government that would lead to his being the “first” African American to serve in various positions.
In 1967, Mr. White headed the Model Cities Pro- gram, which brought mil- lions of dollars into the County. The following year, he became the first African American appointed to the Florida Educational Televi- sion and Radio Advisory Board. He later served as Chairman of that Board.
Two years later, Mr. White became the first African American appointed to the Florida Medical Advi- sory Board.
In 1974, Mr. White cam- paigned for the Office of Mayor for the City of Tampa, becoming the first African American to seek this goal. He was defeated in the Pri- mary by Mayor Bill Poe. After the General Election in November, Mayor Poe ap- pointed Mr. White as the first African American to
ALTON MAURICE WHITE, SR. July 7, 1940 --- November 22, 2017
them down to Model Cities for jobs. He helped a lot of people.”
He is also credited with helping to build the Ybor City Campus of Hillsborough Community College.
Mr. White also served as the Executive Director and Insurance Executive of the Tampa Housing Authority.
In February of this year, U. S. Representative Kathy Castor included him among African American pi- oneers in Hillsborough County and read his accom- plishments into the U. S. Congressional Register.
A Winter Haven native, Mr. White was the oldest child of the late Moses and Lucille White. The family later moved to Tampa.
He attended the local schools of Hillsborough County and graduated from Middleton High School, where he excelled in football. He graduated in 1959.
He earned an athletic
scholarship and continued his education at Florida A & M University, where he also played the position of full- back on the school’s football team.
Mr. White also took an active role in the Civil Rights Movement participating in demonstrations against seg- regation, and was arrested several times as a result of it.
He graduated from FAMU in 1963 with a Bache- lor’s degree in Education.
Mr. White obtained em- ployment at Mercer Univer- sity, where he taught and coached. He later returned to Hillsborough County and continued his role as an edu- cator.
He is survived by his wife, Geraldine White, 2 daughters, 1 son, 2 brothers, 3 sisters, other family mem- bers and friends.
Wilson’s Funeral Home was in charge of handling arrangements for Mr. White.
serve as Administrative As- sistant to the Mayor.
According to an article in the Sentinel, Mayor Poe was asked if he had given Mr. White the position be- cause he had supported him in the election. Mayor Poe stated that Mr. White, along with about 100 others had helped him in the elec- tion.
In response to the posi- tion, Mayor Poe said, “He was not appointed as part of reorganization, but in direct correlation to reorganization, but is supplementing to the already existing staff.”
Superintendent Charles Davis said, “Alton had real power in that posi- tion. He could hire and he could fire people. He wasn’t a figure head. He brought about institutional change in City government.
“When he would ride down the street and see peo-
ple on the bus stop waiting to clean someone else’s house, Alton would tell them to get in the car and he would drive
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