Jane Douglass White | |
|---|---|
 Jane Douglass White at her piano in 1981 | |
| Born | Ruby Jane Douglass April 19, 1919 |
| Died | April 26, 2008 (aged 89) |
| Burial place | Williamson Memorial Gardens, Franklin, Tennessee |
| Other names | Jane White, Jane Douglass, Jane D. White, J. D. White |
| Education |
|
| Occupation(s) | WAC officer, songwriter, musician |
| Years active | 1940–1998 |
| Spouse |
Gail C. White
(m. 1948; died 2006) |
Jane Douglass White (April 14, 1919 – April 26, 2008), born Ruby Jane Douglass (sometimes spelled Douglas), was an American Women's Army Corps officer, music educator and songwriter. A University of Oklahoma graduate, she wrote several songs during World War II to promote the corps; Captain Douglass was selected in 1944 to command the first all-woman Special Service company.
Before the war, Douglass taught vocal music in the Bristow, Oklahoma public schools. One of her songs, originally entitled "The WAAC is in Back of You", was adapted after the war into the official "Song of the Women's Army Corps". She was awarded a master's degree at Columbia University, while she studied piano with Anton Bilotti. After marriage, she changed her name to Jane Douglass White, becoming a prolific songwriter and music director for stage and television. A song she co-wrote with Sidney Shaw, "Love is a Gamble" was recorded by such artists as Eartha Kitt and Johnny Mathis.
She was an assistant producer with Harry Salter for the 1950s edition of television's Name That Tune and afterwards became a well-known Christian music entertainer. Douglass served as a musical director for Charles Colson's Prison Fellowship program.