For more than a century, there was a once-in-a-generation African American photographer who reached preeminence in Omaha’s Black community. Starting in the late 1940s, one man dominated the scene for almost 25 years. This is a biography of William W. “Bill” White.

For a generation, William Walter “Bill” White (1913-1971) was the preeminent African American photographer in Omaha. Referred to as “Bill the Photographer” by nearly everyone in the community, Bill was in demand from all corners of North Omaha. Bill also worked as the staff photographer for The Omaha Star, which featured at least one photo of his almost every single issue for more than 20 years.

Born in 1913 in Carroll County, Illinois, Bill moved to Omaha in 1924 with his parents, Ernest (1888-19??) and Sadie V. Shaw (1900-1954). Attending schools in the Near North Side, he went to Chicago in the 1940s to go to college. After earning a “Practical Certificate in Photography” at the University of Chicago in 1944, Bill came back to Omaha and married Elizabeth “Betty” Jones in 1946. He earned an “Advanced Certificate in Photography” from the Omaha University in 1948.

Bill’s career in Omaha began at The Omaha Star in October 1948. For nearly 25 years after, his name was attached to many of the iconic photos printed in the paper, including shots of social, cultural, educational and economic events, and more. Referred to as “suave, congenial, patient” in a 1954 account of his professional work, Bill was well-regarded by The Omaha Star. Between 1948 and 1971, his resume included working for Star and the Omaha Guide newspapers, as well as being a private photographer throughout in Omaha’s Black community. Bill’s photos featured social clubs, churches, fraternal organizations, and private parties, among many other events. According to the Star, the community called him “Bill the Photographer” because of his singular and popular focus.

Living at 2532 Maple Street, Bill and Better raised their son William White, Jr. His 1971 obituary said Bill was a grandfather for three children. The house still stands today.

After dying unexpectedly in 1971, he was buried at Forest Lawn. Today there are no memorials to him in Omaha. The Omaha Star and the Great Plains Black History Museum are in possession of many of his photos though, and maybe someday they’ll be made available for public viewing.

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MY ARTICLES ABOUT BLACK HISTORY IN OMAHA
MAIN TOPICS: Black Heritage Sites | Black Churches | Black Hotels | Segregated Hospitals | Segregated Schools | Black Businesses | Black Politics | Black Newspapers | Black Firefighters | Black Policeman | Black Women | Black Legislators | Black Firsts | Social Clubs | Military Service Members | Sports
PIONEER BLACK OMAHA: Black People in Omaha Before 1850 | The First Black Neighborhood | Black Voting in Omaha Before 1870 | Racist Laws Before 1900 |
EVENTS: Stone Soul Picnic | Native Omahans Day | Congress of Black and White Americans | Harlem Renaissance in North Omaha
RELATED: Race and Racism | Civil Rights Movement | Police Brutality | Redlining
NEBRASKA BLACK HISTORY: Enslavement in Nebraska | Underground Railroad in Nebraska | Grand Island |
TIMELINES: Racism | Black Politics | Civil Rights | The Last 25 Years

RESOURCES: Book: #OmahaBlackHistory: African American People, Places and Events from the History of Omaha, Nebraska | Bibliography: Omaha Black History Bibliography | Video: “OmahaBlackHistory 1804 to 1930” | Podcast: “Celebrating Black History in Omaha”