Jacob "Jake" C. White Jr. (1837 – November 11, 1902) was an American educator, intellectual, and civil rights activist. Born to a successful and influential businessman, White received the finest education afforded to African-Americans of the time and became intertwined in the dealings of Philadelphia's most prominent black leaders. The first black man in the city to be appointed as a school principal, White is recognized for his position at Roberts Vaux Consolidated School. During his tenure between 1864 and 1896, White reformed the institute and became the leading figure in the field of urban education in Philadelphia. Alongside his academic endeavors, White was significant in the sports field: he helped establish the Philadelphia Pythians, an early black baseball club. Following the shooting of his friend and fellow activist Octavius Catto in 1871, White became the top civil rights activist in the city, and remained active in the community until his death in 1902.
Biography
Early life and career
Jacob White Jr. was born to Jacob White Sr. and Elizabeth White in 1837. His brother was George Bustill White and his sister-in-law was Emilie Davis. He was raised at 100 Old York Road in Jenkintown, a predominantly white neighborhood 10 miles (16 km) from downtown Philadelphia. According to an 1866 city directory, Jacob and George lived with their father at his home at 485 York Avenue. His father was a barber and physician who was well-respected in the black community, formerly the owner of a china shop that sold products manufactured by free negro labor, eschewing goods produced by slave labor. A savvy businessman, White Sr. enjoyed the benefits of profitable real estate investments, becoming an eminent figure in Philadelphia's exclusive inner circle of elite blacks. White Sr. engaged in several endeavors promoting education and was a long-time abolitionist; both of his passions were passed to the young White.
White was initially enrolled at the Lombardy Street Public School. After completing his grammar schooling, he matriculated at the Institute for Colored Youth (ICY) in 1853. Founded by the Society of Friends (Quakers), the ICY emphasized high moral standards for its students and offered a classical study of Latin, Greek, and trigonometry. While enrolled, White expressed an acute awareness of black society and psychological concepts in essays he presented. On May 24, 1855, he addressed Governor James Pollock at a special reception for the institute, touching on the issue of African American citizenship. The same year, White was elected secretary of the Banneker Institute, a student instructional society that convened weekly to have scholarly discussions. White was his class's lone graduate from the ICY on May 6, 1857; he earned praise for his popularity among classmates and professors alike.
In 1858, he accepted a teaching position at the ICY's preparatory school for boys. White furthered his interests in mathematics during his teaching stint at the institute. He became a lecturer on the subject while a member of the mathematics committee of the Banneker Institute, also becoming a proficient chess player in his leisure time. His exceptional skills with figures and calculations led to different business ventures: he was an agent for the Anglo-African weekly newspaper (1860–1861) and Pine and Palm (1860–1862). In 1861, he became a representative at the Haitian Bureau of Emigration, empowering him with the transfers of funds for free blacks who sought to move to Haiti, via New York. As a result of his different ventures, White became a relatively wealthy man at a young age.
Long interested in an administrative role, White was the leading candidate for principal of the neglected Roberts Vaux Consolidated School. In 1864, he was appointed principal, the first black person in Philadelphia to assume such a role. Originally housed in the poorly ventilated basement of the Zoar Methodist Church, under White's leadership, the Vaux school moved to the building formerly housing the William D. Helley School and tripled in attendance. White's administration facilitated the integration of the educational system in Philadelphia, including the end of segregation at Central High School and Girls' Normal School. Satisfied with his accomplishments, White retired from the position in June 1896.