PRINCETON, N.J. - USRowing is pleased to announce that John D. White is this year's recipient of the Jack Franklin Award, the organization announced on Wednesday.
Selected by USRowing's referee committee, the award recognizes a member of the referee community for his or her lifetime of contributions to the sport. White will be honored at the inaugural Golden Oars Awards Dinner on Wednesday, November 30, at the New York Athletic Club in New York City.
"When I got the call letting me know I was the recipient of the Jack Franklin Award, I was speechless. I feel honored," White said. "I'm grateful to have been able to contribute to this great sport and to pursue my passion of promoting and supporting scholastic rowing."
White has demonstrated his commitment to the sport through his longevity of service and his unwavering commitment to improving referee training and performance standards. A 1962 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, White first became an USRowing referee in 1992, the year he retired from the Navy.
"John is the type of referee you want and need officiating your event," said USRowing Chief Executive Officer Glenn Merry. "He is thoughtful in his approach and mindful of the larger perspective of the athletes participating. His leadership role in VASRA has been pivotal in keeping this association robust over the last years. It's a great pleasure to see John receive this well-deserved recognition."
One of 18 Mid-Atlantic referee clinicians, White was a primary mover for referee recruiting and training in the Washington, D.C. area. From the mid to late 1990s through last year, he assisted, or had the lead, in coordinating the assignments of referees in the southern Mid-Atlantic region to ensure events were adequately staffed. This was no easy feat, as he was responsible for more than 50 events total between mid-March and mid-June and frequently up to four regattas on any given Saturday.
White also coordinated all aspects of the area referee clinics through 2010 and was the motivating force behind establishing and funding coxswain clinics.
White, a current member of the USRowing Safety Committee, is vice president of the Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association. VASRA consists of 35 high schools with nearly 2,200 athletes. He has been a part of the VASRA management structure since 1991.
Besides participating in area regattas, White has been a referee at one of the national championship regattas nearly every year since 1996, serving as deputy or chief referee three times. When VASRA hosted the 2002 USRowing Masters National Championships, he was the local organizing committee staff member supervising the starting line. He was a member of the Olympic trials juries in 2000, 2004 and 2008, and a member of other selected national team trials juries in between.
White, who lives in Arlington, Va., retired in 2010 from his latest full-time job as a government contractor in the information management directorate, U.S. Army medical department, and now devotes most his time to refereeing and scholastic rowing issues.
For more information about the Golden Oars Awards Dinner, visit www.usrowing.org. To purchase a ticket or secure a table, visit http://usrowing.tix.com.