William Taylor White

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William Taylor White (1837 - 1852) of Accomack County, Virginia was a prep school student at Columbian College, the original unit of the George Washington University (GW), when he died of lobar pneumonia. White's body was placed in a cast-iron coffin, a popular upper-class burial choice at the time, and buried in the school's cemetery. When the school's cemetery was later moved, the casket was apparently left behind.

The cast-iron coffin was rediscovered in 2005 during construction on the 1400 block of Columbia Road in Columbia Heights, Washington, D.C. The coffin was given to the Smithsonian who initiated a research program to determine the identity of the person in the coffin. After two years of work, the Smithsonian announced on September 20, 2007 that the body had been identified as White and confirmed with DNA testing. GW Alumni have suggested that George Washington University should have the remains laid to rest in the university's plot at Oak Hill Cemetery in NW Washington.