Harvey White Passes Away

Former starting quarterback helped lead Clemson to ACC titles in 1958 and 1959

CLEMSON, S.C. — Former Clemson All-ACC quarterback Harvey White passed away on Saturday, Nov. 6. The native of Greenwood, S.C. was 83 years old.

White was a 1960 graduate of Clemson University and worked for many years for the American National Can Company. He retired from that company in 1993.

White was Clemson’s starting quarterback under Frank Howard from 1957-59. He led the Tigers to a 24-8 record during those seasons, including bowl appearances in 1958 (Sugar Bowl) and 1959 (Bluebonnet Bowl). Clemson won the ACC Championship in 1958 and 1959 and posted an 11-2 conference record in those seasons combined.

Clemson ranked in the final top 20 of at least one of the polls each year. The 1957 team was 19th in the final UPI poll, 12th by AP and 13th by UPI in 1958, and 11th by AP in 1959.

White was named first-team All-ACC in 1957 when he threw for 841 yards and 11 touchdowns against three interceptions. He was the first Clemson quarterback to be named first-team All-ACC, and the only sophomore Clemson quarterback to be named first-team All-ACC until Tajh Boyd in 2011.

White’s passing efficiency mark of 154.6 in 1957 was a season record for a Clemson quarterback given a minimum of 90 attempts until Tajh Boyd broke the mark in 2012.

White was also named a second-team Academic All-American in 1957 and is still one of just four quarterbacks in Clemson history named an Academic All-American.

White was named second-team All-ACC as a junior in 1958 and was co-captain of Clemson’s 1959 team. That year he led the Tigers to a 9-2 record and a victory over TCU in the Bluebonnet Bowl. The Horned Frogs were ranked seventh in the nation entering that game, and it was the highest ranked win for Clemson in the Frank Howard era (1940-69).

White was drafted by the Boston Patriots after his senior year and played in nine NFL games, two as a starter, during the 1960 season, the first year of the Patriots franchise.

Graveside services will be conducted at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13 at Greenwood Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Lung Association at www.lung.org. Blyth Funeral Homes and Cremation Services is assisting the family of Mr. White.