Albert J. White Proclamation

On Tuesday, February 18, the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners will read a proclamation during its regular Board meeting honoring the life and work of Albert White. White served the Kalamazoo community for over five decades, from the 1870s until 1930, earning his journeyman status as a stone mason and bricklayer at the age of 23 after 6 years as an unpaid apprentice. At 25, he founded White’s Construction Company, assembling a diverse team of more than 50 Black, white, and immigrant workers and overseeing the construction of numerous buildings, many of which still stand today. Among his notable projects are the Illinois Envelope Company building, completed in 1905, which now serves as the home of Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services, and Western Michigan University’s Heritage Hall. This event is free and open to the public.