Refree Extraordinarie "Good Eye" Charley White (Charles White 1895-1916).

Charley White’s resume includes multiple championship bouts, refereeing fights with many of the period’s all-time greats: James J. Jeffries, James J. Corbett, Jess Willard, Barbados Joe Walcott, Sam Langford, Joe Jeannette, Joe Gans, Al Wolgast, Abe Attell, Terry McGovern, Robert Fitzsimmons, Tom Sharkey, Kid McCoy, and others.

But more importantly it was Charley White’s reputation for honesty that made him stand out among his contemporaries. At a time when prize fighting was under constant assault by reformers and was plagued with fixed fights it was Charley White’s integrity that New York fans often looked to, to insure an honest evening of fights.

A few short anecdotes regarding the importance of Charley White’s integrity to the fight game.

Moments before the Corbett-Jeffries fight on Cony Island it was noticed that referee, Charley White was standing outside the ring, still wearing his coat and hat. White made it clear to Bill Brady (promoter) he would not be refereeing the fight unless he was first paid his $500 fee up front. White could make such demands because he understood the importance of his presence. The next day one New York Times’ reporter sought fit to quip: "The presence of White was the strongest factor that argued against a fake."

On another night, at the Garden, when Joe Gans took apart “Spike” Sullivan over 14 rounds, it was White who had the courage the stop the slaughter while the white fighter was still on his feet. A decision very unpopular with the crowd; one of Sullivan’s seconds viciously attacked White while he was leaving the ring, gashing his head and knocking him unconscious. When revived, White (before being removed to hospital for six stiches,) addressed the crowd, refusing to recant his decision, he boldly stated when a fighter is "clearly out-classed" it is time for a fight to be stopped. Charley White was a referee ahead of his day.

And, the event that speaks best to the man’s unquestioned integrity lies with a fight he did not referee, the Johnson-Jeffries go in Reno. Just days before the fight there was a great concern that an alternative referee, to back-up the inexperienced Tex Rickard, needed to be approved and that Jack Johnson would likely not cooperate. A list of several names, (including Bat Masterson) was offered to Champion Johnson and despite the list's prestige, Jack Johnson would accept, as second referee, only one name, Charley White.

Charley White also deserves a nod for being one of the few referees who would stand up to the dirty tactics of One Round Hogan and Mysterious Billy Smith, both of whom he found cause to DQ despite the controversies he knew his actions would create.