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Lawrence B. White was born September 21, 1935. Like
so many of us he found magic in his youth and performed for his friends
and classmates through his school years. He graduated from the
University of New Hampshire with a degree in Science/Education. Through
these years, he worked summers and vacations at the Boston Museum of
Science. Following a tour of duty as an Army
combat photographer, Larry returned to the Boston Museum of Science in
the Education Department. To supplement his fantastic annual salary of
$2,200, he got permission to go "on the road" with a
"lecture" (they frowned on the word "show") booked
by the museum under the museum banner. In 1965,
Larry became Assistant Director of the Science Center in the Needham
Public Schools. When then director Norman D. Harris retired, Larry
became the director and hired Dan DeWolf as assistant director. The two
toured Needham schools with their inspirational and educational science
offering, developed teaching aids and materials, ran teacher training
workshops, established a "lending library" of both tame and
wild live animals for children to observe, and published CURRENTS,
a one page flyer sent regularly to teachers addressing timely science
subjects. Simultaneously (and at the same time) they ran the Center
developing exhibits and experiments designed to interest students in the
fascinating world around us. About forty years
ago, Larry married Doris and together they raised two sons: Bill, a
professional autograph dealer in San Francisco (who has a boy, Nicholas
and a girl, Hadley) and Dave, a contractor who is also an accomplished
magician and juggler (who has two boys and a girl, Timothy, Danny and
Jeanette). For several years, Larry has been the
science columnist for Marilyn Edward's magazines. Hopscotch for
girls, and Boy's Quest (you guess). Larry
is the inventor of the "Tri-Section" illusion which Wellington
Industries is bringing out on the market shortly. His current projects
in magic are: With the help of two magician friends, he devised, wrote,
built the effects for and produced "A Visit With Lizzie-The Lizzie
Borden Séance". This is a production that is done by professional
actors in the actual Lizzie Borden House in Fall River. Also, building
a "Flea Circus" "In my
retirement, Larry writes, "I have taken a part-time job as a
Produce Clerk at a local supermarket. I do this for two reasons: To get
away from sitting before a computer, get some exercise and get out of
Doris' hair for a few hours every week. I am now an expert in the
various types of apples and how to tell a ripe cantaloupe".
| Work Experience:
Ten
years in the Education Department of the Museum of Sciences,
Boston. Positions held: Education Associate, Director of Long
Range-Range Planning, Director of the Theatre of Electricity and
Supervisor of Courses & Programs.
Thirty-three years at the Science
Center, Needham, Massachusetts Public Schools. 13 of these as
Assistant Director and 20 years as Director.
Science Consultant (past and
present):
Cincinnati Science Center, Cincinnati, OH; Trailside Museum,
Milton, MA; Nature Science Center, Winston, Salem, NC; Children's
Discovery Museum, Acton, MA; Museum Institute For Teaching
Science, Boston, MA; Detroit Science Center, Detroit MI;
National Science & Technology Week, National Science
Foundation; National Engineers Week. Television
Science Host: "Kid's Thing",
WNAC-TV; "Good day", WCVB-TV, "Science
Countdown", WBZ-TV; "TV High School", WGBH-TV. Author:
Life In The Shifting Dunes:
A Popular Field Guide To The Natural History of Castle neck,
Ipswich, Massachusetts, Museum Of Science, Boston (1960); Investigating
Science With Coins (1969); Investigating Science With
Rubber Bands (1969); Investigating Science With Nails (1970);
Investigating Science With Paper (1970); Science
Tricks (1975); Science Puzzles (1975); Science
Toys (1975); Science Games ((1975); So You want To
Be A Magician (1972); The Great Mysto... That's You! (1975),
all published by Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. Now
You See It: Easy Magic For Beginners, Little Brown &
Company (1979); The Trick Book, Doubleday & Company
(1979); Sixty Silly Jokes You Can Play On Your Friends, Scholastic
editon of above (1981); Scholastic Magazine edition of above.
Sofbound: Abrakadabra Maklike Towertoertijeis vir Beginners,
Afrekanan's Edition of above, Tafelberg-Uitgews Bpk (1981); The
Surprise Book, Doubleday & Company
(1981); Abra-Ca-Dazzle:
Easy Magic Tricks, (1982); Hocus-Pocus: Magic You can Do (1984);
Razzle-Dazzle! Magick Tricks For You (19870, all for
Albert Whitman; Optical Illusions-A First Book, Franklin
Watts (1986); Energy (1995); Water (1995); Air
(1995), last four for Milbrook Press. Ongoing- Science Editor
for Hopscotch and Boy's Quest magazines. Awards
& Recognitions: National
Science Teacher's Association "Excellence in Education;
Channel 5 TV "Class Act" Award; Action For Children's
Television "Award of Excellence"; Needham Public
Schools Superintendent's Award; TIME magazine
"The American Scene" (1988); National Science
Foundation "Directions & Final Report (1989) Goldin
Award; "Best One Man Parade", The Linking Ring (1992);
"Leslie Guest Award of Excellence, M-U-M (1993); Guest of
Honor, Inner Circle of Bizarre Magick Gathering in 2001. Magic:
Active magician. Member of
S.A.M and I.B.M. Previously, new products reviewer and guest
editor for the Magic Manuscript magazine. Presently,
Magic Editor for M-U-M, the official monthly magazine of the
S.A.M. Developed and presented over 1000 "Science
Magic" shows throughout the New England area. Invented and
manufactures over 20 magic effects which are currently sold to
magicians commercially. longtime consultant to a number of
professional magicians and illusionists. |
This profile was written by Phil Wilmarth and
appeared in the Linking Ring, Volume 82, number 12, December 2002.
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