Willard Elmer White (December 7, 1849 – March 17, 1872) was an American professional baseball player. He served primarily as an outfielder but also as a catcher in 1871 with the Cleveland Forest Citys of the National Association. Although he broke his arm running into a fence during a game on June 22, he played 15 of Cleveland's 29 games in their inaugural season, batting .257. However, he died of tuberculosis in March 1872, becoming the first player from a professional baseball league to die. White was the cousin of Deacon White and Will White.
Willard Elmer White was born in Caton, New York, on December 7, 1849. His parents were Benjamin and Minerva White, and he was the oldest of three children, along with sisters Ada (born sometime around 1852) and Ina (born sometime around 1862). Growing up, White played baseball with his cousin James (nicknamed Deacon), two years his senior. Though his parents thought he was squandering his time with the game, White had decided by the mid-1860s that he wanted baseball to be his occupation.
In 1868, White began playing for the Forest Citys, an amateur team in Cleveland, Ohio. Deacon played for them as well. The team folded after the season, but a new one was formed the next year that featured a mix of professional and amateur players. The Whites signed on with the new club, joining a roster that included Al Pratt and Art Allison. All these men were still with the team in 1871 when it became a founding member of the National Association, the first professional baseball league.

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