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. 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.
Philadelphia Pythians , co-founded the
Philadelphia Pythians with White. During his tenure as a teacher at the ICY, White closely collaborated with
Octavius Catto, an important civil rights activist and long-time friend of White's who shared a similar social group and views on education. Both men, former
cricket players at the ICY, believed baseball was another outlet for African Americans to promote social reform and prove their right for full citizenship. In the spring of 1866, White and Catto established the
Philadelphia Pythians, a baseball club composed mainly of men from the
Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia fraternal organization. Catto, a hard-hitting
shortstop and
second baseman, was the
de facto captain on the field, while White became the team's secretary, responsible for scheduling games, arranging festivities, and recording statistics. Soon, Pythian games became a popular fixture of the black community. On September 3, 1869, the Pythians played in the first recorded interracial baseball game. "Colonel" Thomas Fitzgerald of the
Philadelphia City Item, a well-respected figure in baseball and a former owner of the
Philadelphia Athletics, first proposed the idea in his newspaper to seek potential contenders. Their opponent, The Olympics, was Philadelphia's oldest ball club, having roots in the city dating back to 1832, playing
town ball. Although the Pythians lost the contest 44–23,
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the club "acquitted themselves in a very creditable manner, especially their outfielders, who made several very fine fly catches". White and Catto petitioned, albeit unsuccessfully, to join white athletic organizations. Denied opportunities to integrate, the Pythians nonetheless developed a friendly relationship with the Philadelphia Athletics. In June 1895, at an organizational meeting White was appointed the president of the board for the Douglass Memorial Hospital. Under his direction, he appropriated state funds for the hospital in 1898 from Alexander K. Pedrick of the
State Senate. Having succeeded in procuring the funds, White resigned from his position but maintained a seat on the board until his death on November 11, 1902. == References ==