White, Van F., 1924-1993.

Van Freeman White was born on August 2, 1924, the first of five children. When he was just ten years old White's father died, leaving him with instructions to take care of the family. Half a century of community service and a rise from laborer to city council member suggests that White took his charge seriously.

After graduating from Patrick Henry High School in 1943, White worked in construction and as a shipping clerk, followed by a twenty-five year stint as an employment interviewer and office manager for the Minnesota Department of Economic Security. A lifelong north Minneapolis resident, White was dedicated to improving his neighborhood, known as Willard Homewood, a once thriving community which had become economically depressed. A veteran of welfare and the projects, he became involved in numerous organizations devoted to job creation, crime reduction, and the development of parks, community centers, and economic opportunity. In 1971 White founded the Willard Homewood Organization (WHO), a watchdog group established by residents concerned about the deteriorating physical condition of the neighborhood. The group was one of the first in a burgeoning Minneapolis neighborhood improvement movement to seek government loans and grants for the rehabilitation of the area. White also served on the boards of organizations including National Neighbors, Inc., a group promoting multi-racial living; the Minneapolis Age and Opportunities Board; the Phillis Wheatly Community Center; and the North Side YMCA.

White's concern for the neighborhood and its people eventually led him to his decision to move into the political arena. White made history when he became the first African American elected to the city council in 1979. He represented Minneapolis's 5th Ward for ten years before being defeated by neighborhood activist Jackie Cherryhomes.

White married his wife, Javanese, in 1955. The couple had two children. White died on July 14, 1993.

From the guide to the Van F. White papers., 1939, 1971-1994., (Minnesota Historical Society)