Our Founder

James Neel (J.N.) White was born and raised in Perry, New York. In 1942, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the Air Force. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1944 and fulfilled a lifelong fascination with flying by becoming a P-51 fighter pilot with the 352nd Airborne in the European Theater. J.N. was a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Unit Badge. He was shot down over Dunkirk, France, earning membership in the Caterpillar Club, an exclusive group of pilots whose lives were saved by their silk parachutes. J.N. was honorably discharged in 1946 and served in the reserves until 1984.

After the war, J.N. organized and played drums in a dance band called The Midshipmen, playing big band music in hotels and at high school proms. He was a self-taught artist and in 1948 he joined Duracraft, which later became Champion Knitwear, as an artist and designer. It was during this time that J.N. developed a photographic process that revolutionized the way printing screens were made. His ingenuity made it possible to print multi-color shirts and placed his employer at the time on the road to fame.

J.N. established J.N. White Designs in 1960, perfecting his screen-printing technique while working freelance for local companies like Robeson Cutlery of Castile. He joined Allen-Bailey Tag & Label, of Caledonia, in 1963 as New Sales Manager, but eventually left the company to focus full time on producing high quality, screen-printed products as J.N. White Designs. He purchased the Perry Herald weekly newspaper and the Perry Shopper free advertising publication in 1975 and incorporated the three businesses as J.N. White Associates, Inc.

J.N. and his wife, Betty, who was also his business partner, retired to Florida in 1993. In retirement, J.N. enjoyed oil painting and clay sculpting, often drawing inspiration from Greek mythology and French Impressionism. J.N.’s work can be enjoyed through his web site, www.jnwhite.net. J.N. penned his memoir, I Was a P-51 Fighter Pilot in WWII, which he self-published in 2003. He was also an avid golfer, and past member of Silver Lake Country Club, Locust Hill Country Club and PGA National Members Club.

J.N. shared his life with his wife of 64 years, their four sons -- Jim, Terry, Randy and Devin – their daughters-in-law and seven grandchildren.  J.N. was active in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and served as president of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Holy Name Society. He was a member of Perry Rotary Club, where he was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow for service to the club and his community.

After living a life rich from learning, creating and giving, J.N. passed away at the age of 87 on December 28, 2011 at his home in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

The company that bears his name was sold to son Randy in 1989 and has grown from a screen-printing company to a manufacturer of digital and screen printed labels, nameplates and graphic overlays as well as high-tech user interface panels and membrane switches. J.N.’s personal commitment to quality, and creative ability to meet customer needs, remains an essential fiber of the company today, 52 years after its inception.