The Naming of Ben White Blvd

How often do you pass or use a street and wonder how it got its name? For the curious, that might be a regular event; for the rest, its just another street.

But if spend much time in South Austin, you’ll know Ben White Blvd is a major thoroughfare in the area. You might not know, however, that it was originally named South First Street, and caused locals great consternation as it was one of three First Streets (East, West and South) in Austin.

In 1958, South Austin residents were tired of the confusion. More than 500 residents signed a petition asking the Austin City Council to rename South First Street to Ben White Boulevard. For a snippet of the petition and a little background on the man who the boulnamed is after read on.

"The Honorable Ben White ... is a resident of South Austin, and has for many years worked untiringly as a private citizen and civic leader for the improvement of South Austin, including the widening and paving of South First Street," according to the petition.

During that same meeting, the council voted 4–0 to rename the road Ben White Avenue after reviewing the roadway definitions. White abstained from the vote.

Alton White said that White did not want his fellow residents to be inconvenienced or have businesses incur any costs for renaming South First.

To honor his request, the council voted to name the then-future South Belt Loop "Ben White Boulevard."

The younger Ben White said that friends liked to tease 'Daddy Ben' by saying that he objected because he wanted a boulevard instead of an avenue.

Alton White had seen the roadway's path before Ben White Boulevard was built.

"It was all pasture land. It's amazing the growth that has occurred in the last 30 to 40 years," he said.

Ben White remembered his grandfather as a quiet, devout man who enjoyed reading his Bible in his favorite armchair with the screen door open.

White had been married to his wife for more than 50 years, Klummpe said.

"He was a man of the blue collar. He absolutely loved the city workers, particularly the firemen," he said. "My grandmother knew that if he did not come home for dinner, there was a fire department she could call and find him. He'd be playing dominoes."

White was given the ceremonial title of commodore during the Austin Aqua Festival, a summer boating festival held on Lady Bird Lake.

Klummpe said White was a member of the Scottish Rite Ben-Hur Shrine and a former president of the South Austin Civic Club.

He remembered White as never having an unkind word to say about anyone.

"To put up with Austin politics, it takes a different kind of person," he said. "But Austin was a lot smaller back then."

White died on Jan. 30, 1972 at age 82, Keller said.