White, Charles J. - 1987
Promoter Charles J. “Buster” White likes to say that he may not have put Savannah on the map, but he has kept it there. For more than four decades, White brought top caliber sports and sports entertainment to the city.
Through his efforts, boxers Sugar Roy Robinson, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, George Fitch, and Rocky Graziano held events in Savannah. In addition, basketball greats Nat Holman, Joe Lapchick, and Dutch Dehnert all performed with the original Harlem Globetrotters in a city event, displaying their talent to local fans.
White also brought the first closed circuit television fight to the city: the 1955 heavyweight title fight between Archie Moore and Rocky Marciano. In addition to his sports promotion, he was something of an athlete himself. He played semi-pro baseball and was a player and manager of the famed Medicos basketball team of the 118th Field Artillery five-time city champions.