A sculpture commemorating George Whitfield Jr., the city of San Antonio’s first records manager, was unveiled recently at the Municipal Archives and Records Center that was named in his honor in 2002.
Whitfield’s signature is engraved in the upright metal sculpture, which stands outside in the building’s walkway.
In 1982, Whitfield transformed a box-and-file storage system into a centralized computer system that allowed residents and clerks to bring up a document within seconds from thousands of files.
The center, at 719 S. Santa Rosa, retains vital records San Antonio residents, along with official historical documents. In a 2011 Express-News article, Whitfield said whenever he passes the building he looks over and calls it the son he never had.
The former records manager said he was there at the right time with the right people.
Whitfield, who was born and raised on the East Side, had earned a computer management certificate when he applied for a position with the city. The hiring manager said he was overqualified.
To get his foot in the door, Whitfield started as an elevator operator, before moving to a night custodian shift. Later, he began working in a tiny office on Dolorosa Street, using an apple cart to sit on as he converted documents to microfilm. Sitting among dusty boxes stacked to the rafters is where he envisioned an innovative record keeping system.
City clerk Debbie Racca-Sittre said the sculpture that pays tribute to Whitfield was the vision of local arts collective Bridge Projects.
“It seemed fitting that Mr. George Whitfield Jr.’s name should be the one to welcome visitors to this important place,” Racca-Sittre said.