In this excerpt from his memoir The Good Sport, Kevin White takes us on his journey as an Irish Catholic kid growing up in “blue-collar” Amityville on Long Island while scrambling to help his parents make ends meet, to the position of “the best of the best” among intercollegiate athletic directors of his generation. Navigating the winding roads, with endless rotaries, up to … [Read more...] about “The Good Sport”
Kevin White
A Celebratory Family Trip Home
"Laughter is wine for the soul – laughter soft, or loud and deep, tinged through with seriousness – the hilarious declaration made by man that life is worth living.” ~ Sean O’Casey Along with a record heat wave in July 2022, many Irish Americans came “home” to visit Ireland for some much-needed craic. Among them, was Kevin White (Irish America Hall of Fame Inductee … [Read more...] about A Celebratory Family Trip Home
The Back Story to Mel Tormé’s Classic Christmas Song
Bill O'Boyle
Winter 2022
Winter 2022
This story is about Rita and Mel and a Christmas song — no, make that "The Christmas Song." "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose." Rita O’Donnell was just 15 years old and a sophomore at Coughlin High School in 1940 when she got a call from her older sister, Aileen, who was dancing as a member of the Rockettes at Radio City Music … [Read more...] about The Back Story to Mel Tormé’s Classic Christmas Song
A Visit to the Hall of Fame
Kevin M. White, Duke University’s vice president and director of athletics, who was inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame in 2017, paid a visit to the Hall of Fame in New Ross, Co. Wexford, in October. He described the visit as “an amazing, actually spectacular, experience.” ♦ … [Read more...] about A Visit to the Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame: Dr. Kevin White
Kevin White believes that his success and impact on collegiate sports is because of his Irish ancestry. “I am who I am, the diminutive pluses combined with the avalanche of minuses, because of my ancestral roots. To that end, I take great pride in being a teacher, a mentor, and a leader, which are all profoundly found within my Celtic DNA,” he told Irish America in … [Read more...] about Hall of Fame: Dr. Kevin White