Jack Weldon White

Jack Weldon White was born in Camden, Arkansas, October 21, 1935, but moved to Hope, Arkansas at an early age. He graduated from Hope High School in 1953. He received the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Northeast Louisiana State College in 1957, and the Master of Music degree from Louisiana State University in 1961, as well as completing hours beyond the master’s degree. He began his teaching career in Sterlington, and Ouachita Junior High School in Monroe, La., in 1958, after serving in the U.S. Army, where he completed Airborne Training. He also served many years in the Louisiana National Guard. From 1964-1970, he was Director of Bands at Ouachita Parish High School, and from June 1, 1970, served as Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at Northeast Louisiana University, retiring on June 1, 1991.

Mr. White was a member of Phi Beta Mu, C.B.D.N.A., Phi Mu Alpha, Tau Beta Sigma, Kappa Kappa Psi, Louisiana Music Educators Association, and the Louisiana Bandmaster’s Association, of which he was past President. He also loved conducting “The Aldersgate Choir” before his illness prevented him from doing so.

In 1963, he was named the Outstanding Young Teacher of the Year in Ouachita Parish; In 1968, he was awarded the Pacesetter Award by the City of Monroe; in 1969, he was named the Bandmaster of the Year by the Louisiana Bandmaster’s Association; in 1970, he was named as an Outstanding Young Man of America. In 1970, he also received the Citation of Excellence award from the National Band Association. The Ouachita Parish High School Band, as well as the NLU Band, were acclaimed as two of the most outstanding bands in the United States under his leadership.

Jack received the Louisiana “Outstanding Bandmaster of the Year “award for 1971 and 1973, presented by the Epsilon Chapter, Phi Beta Mu. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the Monroe Jaycees in 1980. He was elected International President of Phi Beta Mu in 1982 and re-elected in 1985. He was named Teacher of the Year by the N.L.U. College of Liberal Arts in 1988, and in 1990 was named Outstanding Teacher of the Year by the University. That same year he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Educator’s Association Hall of Fame. In 1991, he received the Orpheus Award from Eta Iota Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha. Also, since his retirement, he has been named Director Emeritus of the ULM Bands by the University. He also was very proud of naming the band “The Sound of Today”. “Love Ya Band!”

In addition to his teaching duties, Mr. White has served as adjudicator, clinician, consultant, guest conductor, and guest lecturer in Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Florida, Nebraska, Indiana, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Canada. He has seven articles published in leading professional journals and magazines in the U.S. and Canada, as well as materials published by the Jensen Publishing Company.

From 1991-2010, Mr. White was elected to serve on the Ouachita Parish School Board, serving most of those years, as President. He enjoyed the friendship of fellow board members, as well as working with the Ouachita Parish schools as a board member. He was the past Conductor of The Twin City Concert Band, a volunteer group of musicians from all walks of life. Under his leadership, this group received the coveted Sudler Silver Scroll Award, naming it as one of the best community bands in the United States. Mr. White was also nominated as Artist of the Year by the Monroe Symphony League. He was an active member of the University Chamber Arts Brass Quintet for over twenty years, played often at various area churches, including his home church, First United Methodist Church of Monroe, and played trumpet in The Monroe Symphony. In May 2006, Mr. White was co-receiver with his wife Coralie, of the Roger DiGiulian Lifetime Music Award from The Monroe Symphony. In April 2011, he and his wife Coralie, were named to the Monroe Symphony Hall of Fame.

In 2007, Jack was named to the International Hall of Fame, by Phi Beta Mu, International Bandmasters Fraternity, being only the fifth recipient of this honor since 1935. In 2010, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Music Education from the South-Central Music Educators Society.

He was preceded in death by his mother Chloie White Tittle, father, J.W. White, grandson Seth Isaac Greenup., stepfather Clovis Tittle.

He was married to Coralie Heard White, the father of four, the grandfather of nine. He is survived by son Jack Weldon White, Jr. and wife Jennye, of West Monroe, Louisiana, daughter Allison Anne Greenup and husband Scott, of Shawnee, Kansas, daughter Ashley Susan Kyle and husband Douglas of Decatur, Texas, daughter Elizabeth Coralie White and husband Philip of Prattville, Alabama. He is also survived by sisters Shirley Parker of Bossier City, Louisiana, Lurlene Rodgers of Slidell, Louisiana, and Betty and Don Clack of West Monroe, Louisiana. Also remembering him with love are grandchildren Corey White, Travis Kyle, Jessica Kyle, Madison Kyle, Garrett Walters, Jake Walters, Samuel Greenup, and Ella Greenup, along with nephew Jason Clack, wife Jessica, great-nephew Jackson, and great-niece Jillian Clack, niece Karen Johnson, and nephews Alan Moore, Robert Moore, and Matt Duffie. Also, part of his family always included the hundreds of students he taught, loved, cared about, and claimed through the years.

Pallbearers will be his grandsons, nephew Jason Clack, and great nephew Jackson Clack. Honorary pallbearers will be all his former students from the Sound of Today, “Jack’s Army”. Singers are Greg and Kristen Oden of West Monroe, and Tim Ervin of Mt. Pleasant, Texas, playing trumpet.

The family wishes to thank Jack’s Doctors, Home Health, Hospice, A First Name Basis, First United Methodist Church of Monroe, Aldersgate Sunday School Class, our neighbors, as well as all the friends who have supported the family during this time.

Services celebrating the life of Jack White will be held at 3:00 P.M. Saturday August 22, 2020, at First United Methodist Church, Monroe with Rev. Brian Mercer officiating. Interment will follow in Hasley Cemetery, West Monroe, under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home in West Monroe, LA.

Visitation will be from 4:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. Friday at Mulhearn Funeral Home in West Monroe, LA. The family would ask to please wear a facial covering and practice social distancing for your own safety and safety of the family. They would ask for guests to express their condolences in a short and timely manner so that all of his students and friends will have the same opportunity and capacity guidelines will be followed.