3 minute read
The White Family Challenge Alumni
by Derreatha Juarez
To posthumously honor their parents, the White Family became the challenge donors for the 2019 Chaminade Alumni Challenge. The goal was to gather participation from as many alumni as possible. If 450 alums pledged any amount of money before midnight on Challenge Day, the Whites would generously add an additional $10,000 donation in honor of Mr. and Mrs. White.
Back in the 1960s and 1970s, Mr. Harry L. and Mrs. Helen E. White chose Chaminade as the high school for their five sons to attend. Their sons Rolland (Rolly) ’66, Harry ’67, Bill ’70, Robert (Bob) ’72, and James (Jim) who attended Chaminade for three years before the family moved to Westchester, CA, still appreciate “the solid foundation that Chaminade provided as a basis for our continued learning after high school and the positive difference that this outstanding Chaminade education has made in our lives” (White Family). As Chaminade students, the White sons played nearly every sport offered at Chaminade. Bill, Bob, and Jim were instrumental in establishing Chaminade’s first football teams while Rolly and Harry helped launch the baseball program. The brothers also consistently participated in student leadership and honor societies, and Rolly, Harry, and Bill each took the helm as student body president during their respective senior years.
The White brothers have maintained a strong connection to Chaminade as alumni, returning for reunions, fundraisers, and other school events. Bill served on the Board of Directors from 2006-2009; he is also a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame (2005). Harry returned to Chaminade for Career Night in 1983, where he spoke with students wishing to pursue careers in orthodontia and met his future business partner, Chris Zachary ’85. Harry also spearheaded the Class of 1967 Fifty-Year Reunion in 2017, which was the highest attended Golden Eagle Celebration to date.
The passing of Harry White Sr. at the age of 102 in 2019 and of Helen White at the age of 93 in 2017, reminded their sons of their “educational roots and the extraordinary level of personal attention, academic excellence, and broad opportunities provided by the years at Chaminade. Mom and Dad had an active presence on the Chaminade campus, and they were two extraordinary and wonderful parents” (White Family). Harry, Sr. held the position of President of the Men’s Club, and he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003 due to his extensive fund-raising energies rallying for the construction of the Bob Hope Student Center and the creation of the Chaminade baseball field that had formerly been a cow pasture.
In anticipation of the event, the White’s proudly and passionately claimed their role as the Chaminade Alumni Challenge Donors for the 2019 campaign. They were honored to play such an integral part in giving back to Chaminade and providing a graceful and meaningful tribute to their parents. Harry White emailed his classmates before the Challenge encouraging them to send their pledges. He reflects that “It has become apparent through comments made at the 10-year, 25-year, and 50-year class reunions that the education provided by Chaminade has been so beneficial to thousands of young people on so many different levels and over several decades. The common thread that many Chaminade alumni share is a genuine appreciation for the extraordinary benefits of having a Chaminade education”.
The family was also grateful to the Chaminade Alumni Office, for handling the role of the White family as Alumni Challenge Donors with great attention to details and personal touches through every step of the process.
Harry, Jr.’s Wedding Day - September 9, 1978 Top row left to right: Rolland '66, Bill '70, Jim, Bob '72 Bottom row left to right: Harry, Jr. '67, Mr. William Ellis (Mom’s Dad), Helen White, Harry White, Sr.
