William Edward White facts for kids
Quick facts for kids William Edward White |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg)
White photographed as a member of the 1879 Brown University baseball team
|
|||
| First baseman | |||
| Born: October 1860 Milner, Georgia |
|||
| Died: March 29, 1937 (aged 76) Chicago, Illinois |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| June 21, 1879, for the Providence Grays | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 21, 1879, for the Providence Grays | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Games played | 1 | ||
| Runs | 1 | ||
| Hits | 1 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
William Edward White (born October 1860 – died March 29, 1937) was an American baseball player from the 1800s. He played in just one professional game for the Providence Grays in the National League on June 21, 1879.
Many people believe that William Edward White might have been the very first African-American player in major league baseball. This would mean he played years before other famous Black players like Moses Fleetwood Walker, his brother Weldy Walker, and even Jackie Robinson.
White's Only Game
Not much is known about William Edward White. He was a student at Brown University and played on their baseball team. On June 21, 1879, he got a chance to play for the Providence Grays. He filled in for the regular first baseman, Joe Start, who was hurt.
In his one game, White got one hit in four tries and scored one run. The Providence Grays won the game 5–3. It's a mystery why White never played for the Grays again. In their next game, a future Hall of Famer named "Orator Jim" O'Rourke took his place.
His Family Background
Research by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) suggests that William Edward White had a unique background. They believe he was the son of a plantation owner named Andrew Jackson White and an enslaved Black woman named Hannah. This family lived in Milner, Georgia.
University records show that William was born in Milner. The 1870 census also lists a nine-year-old boy named William White living with his mother, Hannah. Andrew Jackson White's will from 1877 mentions three children, including William, as the children of his servant, Hannah White. His will also said they should be educated in the North.
A Possible First
If this research is correct, William Edward White was not only the first Black player in the major leagues, but he might also be the only former enslaved person to play in the major leagues. Unlike some other Black players of that time, White was able to live as a white person. This meant he did not face the harsh racism that was common in the late 1800s.
Life After Baseball
According to census records from 1900 and 1910, William White moved to Chicago. There, he worked as a bookkeeper. In these records, he was listed as being born in Rhode Island and identified as white.
However, the 1920 census shows a 60-year-old William E. White living in Chicago whose parents were born in Georgia. This record listed his race as "black." It is not completely certain if this is the same William Edward White who played baseball.
