Page Five
Will A. White - 1903-1906
The second native of Ohio to serve as Sheriff of Los Angeles County; Election hotly contested;
goes to Germany to bring back a murderer; has conflict with the Board of Supervisors; an
honest, fearless and humane officer; the twenty-third Sheriff of the County.
On November fourth, 1902, Los Angeles County elected its twenty-third Sheriff. He was Will A.
White, who had served as Undersheriff with John Burr in 1895-1898, at which time he was
elected to the office of County Tax Collector, filling that position through 1899 and 1900.
This official service to the County had given him a wide and favorable acquaintance which gave
him a reasonable hope that his aspiration to the position of Sheriff would be received favorably
by the citizens of the County.
Mr. White was born at Columbus, Ohio in 1863 and came to Los Angeles in 1888, when he was
twenty-five years of age.
While he was a Republican candidate for the office and his party was in the majority, electing all
their candidates without great opposition, his own election was hotly contested by his Democratic
opponent, Wilson, and he was heavily scratched in Los Angeles, where Wilson was exceedingly
popular.
However, having received a strong endorsement from the Railroad Man's Political Club, and
heavy support from Pasadena and voters in the Soldiers Home at Sawtelle, the election was
decided in his favor, but by a small majority of voters.
During 1906, Sheriff White's last year of office, the first Matron of the Los Angeles County Jail
was appointed, in the person of Mrs. George W. Shehi. She began service January first of that
year, and after twenty one years of continuous work in that capacity, retired on account of the
condition of her health October first, 1927.
In 1905, the judicial business of the County had increased to such an extent that three new
Departments of the Superior Court were created, increasing the number of Judges and
Departments from six to nine.
Sheriff White's death occurred in 1918. His record as a citizen and as an official was an
honorable one, and while without anything particularly spectacular as to official achievements,
his service was conscientious and satisfactory.