The recent death of George W. White, retired chief judge of the United States District Court in Cleveland, signals the passing of one of this area’s legal minds, civic activist and philanthropist.
White was 80 when he died the other week.
At his funeral, hundreds came to pay their respects to the soft spoken but tough as nails jurist who set the gold standard for judicial temperament and a love of the law.
Before being appointed to the federal judiciary in 1980, the U.S. District Court here had never had an African-American judge. White changed all that and then some.
He heard the trials of Teamster leader Jackie Presser, porn king Reuben Sturman and other headlined defendants. In all of his cases, he never let the spotlight get in the way of justice.
Before being a federal judge, White would end the Cleveland school’s25 year desegregation case.
He would serve as a councilman in the Lee-Harvard area and take on Cleveland Mayor Carl Stokes who wanted to build low income homes in the then affluent Black neighborhood. White won the battle.
A 1955 graduate of Cleveland Marshall College of Law, he would practice with legendary attorney Charles Fleming who would later become presiding judge of Cleveland Municipal Court.
But White’s passion extended beyond the law and public service. He helped to create the United Black Fund of Cleveland, First Club of Cleveland and the Cleveland Browns Foundation.
George White never let success or the spotlight go to his head.
He was a down to Earth man that had a heart as well.
He will be missed.
May he rest in peace.
