JOHN HAZEN WHITE JR., CEO of Taco Inc., his wife, Liz, and their sons John III and Benjamin will receive the Honorary Chairs’ Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities at the organization’s annual Celebration of the Humanities event on Oct. 17 at the Renaissance Providence Downtown Hotel. According to the council, the White family is being recognized for the “sustained and meaningful ways” they have supported the civic fabric of Rhode Island for years, carrying on the legacy established by John and Happy White. John Hazen White Jr. spoke with PBN.
What does this honor from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities mean to you and your family? We’re supporters of the organization and if you look at their mission … I think they use the word “imagine.” They are all about promoting good in the community in so many ways, [such as] the arts. It fits well within the mission of The White Family Foundation and it’s a really great honor for us.
Why are the arts vital to you and your family? We’ve chosen to try to support the arts so that people who wouldn’t normally have the chance to experience many of the things that we support, [such as Providence Performing Arts Center], the Rhode Island Philharmonic and Trinity [Repertory Company], will maybe have an opportunity to experience a part of [this] society and community. It’s a side of life that, I think, people take for granted and sometimes gets overlooked due to the busyness of our normal lives.
How important is the arts community to Providence and Rhode Island? I think it’s way underestimated in terms of the value. The arts bring so much value. Just, on a microscopic scale, look at what “Hamilton” did for Providence. If you went to the sporting world, it would equate to golf; it’s a high-quality sport and you learn a lot of fundamentals. I think the arts bring together the community. You go to any event at PPAC, or Trinity or the Philharmonic or the small theaters, the eclectic group that accumulates in one place is amazing. Not only that, but from a strictly financial standpoint look at what it’s done for the city. It does everything.
How vital is it for not just your family, but company executives in general, to give back to the community? I’ve always viewed Taco as having what I call a “social responsibility” to reach out and give back to the community. We are part of the community from which we take; it’s our obligation to give back and support it. I think that is the case with every single person in my position. Frankly, it’s one of my biggest disappointments because not all of them do. Most do; you always see the sponsorships. But not all of them do. It’s not about just having a name on a concert. It’s about providing something that matters to the community and to people.
