officials

Art White

Year Inducted: 1997

Category: Officials

Schools / Organizations: (Chicago) St. Elizabeth High School
Loyola University–Chicago
Big Ten, NCAA

Biography: Art White was a 1947 graduate of (Chicago) St. Elizabeth High School and a 1951 graduate of Loyola University.  Art coached basketball at his alma mater, St. Elizabeth from 1953-1958.  He saw his teams win two Chicago City Championships and three Chicago Catholic League Championships.  A member of the Central Officials Association and the Metropolitan Officials Association, Art became the first African American to officiate in the Big Ten Conference in 1967.  As a Big Ten official, Art was selected to officiate for 12 NCAA tournaments.  Three times he was assigned to be on the floor for NCAA semi-final match-ups.  After 15 years as a sales representative for the Anheuser-Busch Company, Art became their first black distributer in the country.  Art White was inducted into the Chicago League’s Hall of Fame in 1970 and in 1976 became a member of the Loyola University Hall of Fame for his accomplishments as a basketball player there.  Art White died on July 24, 1991 at the age of 63.