John C. White
Encyclopedia
John Coyle White was an elected and appointed Democratic
official from Texas
. He was the longest-serving Texas Commissioner of Agriculture, first elected in 1951 and serving until his resignation in 1977. White was the youngest person elected to statewide office in Texas. He was United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
from 1977–1978 and was Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
from 1978 to 1981.
in Clay County
on November 26, 1924. He was the son of Ed White, a sharecropper, and graduated from Texas Tech University
in 1946.
agricultural entities that had expanded markets for both countries.
nominated White to serve as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He was responsible for the implementation of national agriculture policy and was the chief U.S. representative in negotiations with foreign governments, including the Soviet Union, on grain agreements. White served during a period of great unrest among the nation's farmers. His calm and reasoned arbitration with disaffected groups resulted in several successful changes in U. S. farm policy. White resigned his post in 1978, when President Carter tapped him to lead the Democratic National Committee.
took control of the presidency and the senate in the 1980 elections, however the Democrats did retain their majority in the United States House of Representatives
under the leadership of Tip O'Neill
. John White was DNC chairman at a time when Democrats controlled the White House
, the Senate, the House of Representatives and a majority of governorships.
and was buried at the Texas State Cemetery in in Austin, Texas
.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
official from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He was the longest-serving Texas Commissioner of Agriculture, first elected in 1951 and serving until his resignation in 1977. White was the youngest person elected to statewide office in Texas. He was United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
The United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture is the second-highest ranking official in the United States Department of Agriculture, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Deputy Secretary becomes Acting Secretary of Agriculture in the event of the Secretary's...
from 1977–1978 and was Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
from 1978 to 1981.
Early years
White was born in Newport, TexasNewport, Texas
Newport is on Farm to Market Road 1288 and SH 59 southeast of Henrietta in far southeastern Clay County, Texas. Farm to Market Road 2127 also passes just south of town. Its population is estimated at 70.-History:...
in Clay County
Clay County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,006 people, 4,323 households, and 3,181 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 4,992 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
on November 26, 1924. He was the son of Ed White, a sharecropper, and graduated from Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
in 1946.
Texas agriculture commissioner
At the age of 25, White was elected statewide as the Agriculture Commissioner. He was the youngest person ever elected to statewide office in Texas. He was re-elected to that high office 12 times, 26½ years, and helped Texas in its difficult transition from an agricultural to a predominately urban economy. White established marketing programs that served as models for other state governments and he was responsible for establishing a close working relationship with MexicanMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
agricultural entities that had expanded markets for both countries.
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
In 1977, President Jimmy CarterJimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
nominated White to serve as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He was responsible for the implementation of national agriculture policy and was the chief U.S. representative in negotiations with foreign governments, including the Soviet Union, on grain agreements. White served during a period of great unrest among the nation's farmers. His calm and reasoned arbitration with disaffected groups resulted in several successful changes in U. S. farm policy. White resigned his post in 1978, when President Carter tapped him to lead the Democratic National Committee.
Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
He helped the Democratic Party retain its majority in the 1978 congressional elections. The RepublicansRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
took control of the presidency and the senate in the 1980 elections, however the Democrats did retain their majority in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
under the leadership of Tip O'Neill
Tip O'Neill
Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill, Jr. was an American politician. O'Neill was an outspoken liberal Democrat and influential member of the U.S. Congress, serving in the House of Representatives for 34 years and representing two congressional districts in Massachusetts...
. John White was DNC chairman at a time when Democrats controlled the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, the Senate, the House of Representatives and a majority of governorships.
Death and burial
White died on January 20, 1995 in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and was buried at the Texas State Cemetery in in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.