William A. White

William Andrew White II
Reverend William A. White c. 1920s
Born(1874-06-16)16 June 1874
King and Queen County, Virginia
Died9 September 1936(1936-09-09) (aged 62)
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Allegiance Canada
Service / branch Canadian Army
Years of service1916-1919
RankHonorary Captain
Battles / warsFirst World War
For other uses, see William White.

William Andrew White II (June 16, 1874 – September 9, 1936) was a Canadian chaplain and military officer from Nova Scotia who was commissioned as the first black officer in the Canadian Army.[1] He served in World War I as a military chaplain, the only black officer in the Canadian military during the war.

He and his wife had thirteen children, many of whom achieved national distinction. They included classical singer Portia White and politicians Bill White and Jack White. In 1936, White was awarded an honorary doctorate from Acadia University, the first Black Canadian to be given an honorary doctorate.[2]

  1. ^ "George Elliott Clarke First black officer in British Army blazed trail but dreams were thwarted". The Globe and Mail. 1 August 2014
  2. ^ "William A. White" Archived 2018-06-12 at the Wayback Machine, Our Roots