Dana WHITE

1934 - 2016

WHITE, Dana F. Dana Frances White, a popular professor at Emory University for nearly fifty years, died in Atlanta November 24, 2016 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. He is survived by Patriciahis loving wife of 25 years, dear friends, and scores of students whom he mentored throughout his career. Best known for his work as co-creator and narrator for the award winning "Making of Modern Atlanta," first broadcast on WPBA-TV-30 in 1991, White's teaching and scholarship played a leading role in shaping the public's understanding of the city's post-World-War-II transformation into a complex, multi-racial metropolitan region. Born in New York City November 18, 1934, White was Jesuit-educated at Fordham Prep and at Fordham University where he earned his B. A. in 1956. His love of sports was nurtured at an early age as a boxer, football player, and fan of the New York Giants. He traveled west to Laramie, Wyoming where he received an M. A. in American Studies. After serving in the United States Army, he continued his studies at The George Washington University, earning a Ph.D. in 1970. Combining his love of cities with his studies of urbanism, Dana taught urban history at the State University of New York at Buffalo and spent a year as a fellow at the Smithsonian Institution before coming to Atlanta in the fall of 1970 to teach jointly at Emory University and Atlanta University. In his adopted city, Dana prepared generations of graduate students to pursue careers as teachers, writers, and public historians. His work as a principal historical consultant for exhibitions at the Atlanta History Center from "Four Cheers for Atlanta" in 1976 to "Gatheround: Stories of Atlanta" in 2016 played a key role in illuminating the city's past. While Dana wrote persuasively on urbanism for his colleagues in the academy, he also reached the broader public through numerous newspaper articles, television interviews, exhibitions, and popular periodicals. In recognition of his accomplishments, Emory University named him the Goodrich C. White Professor. An able administrator, White also served twice as Director of Emory's Graduate School of Liberal Arts. After retiring from the classroom in 2011, White worked as a consulting curator for Emory's Rose Library where he joined his love of sports with his scholarship of American culture. Dana was Professor in Residence for periods in 2008, 2009, and 2010 at the American Academy in Rome, where, with his wife Patricia, he shared his interest in all things urban with international scholars. A celebration of the life of Dana White will be scheduled for a later date. Donations in his memory can be made to the Dana Francis White Fund, Rose Library, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, or The Initiative for Affordable Housing, P. O. Box 855. Scottdale, GA 30079, or http://www.affordablehousingatl.org/.