Stephen M. White | |
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| United States Senator fromCalifornia | |
| In office March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1899 | |
| Preceded by | Charles N. Felton |
| Succeeded by | Thomas R. Bard |
| 18thLieutenant Governor of California Acting | |
| In office September 13, 1887 – January 8, 1891 | |
| Governor | Robert Waterman |
| Preceded by | Robert Waterman |
| Succeeded by | John B. Reddick |
| President pro tempore of the California State Senate | |
| In office 1887–1891 | |
| Preceded by | Benjamin Knight Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Fraser |
| Member of theCalifornia Senate from the38th district | |
| In office January 3, 1887 – January 5, 1891 | |
| Preceded by | None (district created) |
| Succeeded by | Richard B. Carpenter |
| Los Angeles County District Attorney | |
| In office 1882–1884 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas B. Brown |
| Succeeded by | George M. Holton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1853-01-19)January 19, 1853 San Francisco,California, U.S. |
| Died | February 21, 1901(1901-02-21) (aged 48) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Calvary Cemetery, Los Angeles, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Hortense Sacriste (m. 1883-1901, his death) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent | William F. White |
| Relatives | White family |
| Education | Santa Clara College (S.B., 1871) |
| Occupation | Attorney |
Stephen Mallory White (January 19, 1853 – February 21, 1901) was an American attorney and politician fromCalifornia. ADemocrat, he was most notable for his service as aU.S. Senator from 1893 to 1899.
A native ofSan Francisco, White graduated fromSanta Clara College in 1871, studied law, and became an attorney in Los Angeles. He became active in politics, and served asLos Angeles County District Attorney and a member of theCalifornia Senate. White was elected the Senate'spresident pro tem, and when thelieutenant governor succeeded to the governorship after the incumbent's death, White was acting lieutenant governor for most of his state senate term.
In 1893, the California legislature elected White to theUnited States Senate. He served one term and was chairman of the Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation of Arid Lands. As a senator, White was best known for his efforts to secure an improved harbor for Los Angeles, which became thePort of Los Angeles.
After his Senate term, White resumed practicing law. He died in Los Angeles on February 21, 1901, and was buried atCalvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.
White was born inSan Francisco on January 19, 1853, the son of Francis J. "Fannie" (Russell) White andWilliam F. White, a merchant and author who was also active in California's government as a state bank commissioner and in other positions.[1][2] White's mother was orphaned early in life and raised by relatives in Florida, one of whom wasStephen Mallory.[3] White was tutored by his father's sister until he was 13, then attended a private school in Santa Cruz County.[1] At age 16, he began attendance atSt. Ignatius College Preparatory School in San Francisco, where he remained for a year and a half.[1]
White graduated fromSanta Clara College in 1871[4] andstudied law in theSanta Cruz area with three established attorneys.[1] He wasadmitted to the bar in 1874.[1]
White settled inLos Angeles, where he established a practice.[1] In 1882, White was a charter member of theLos Angeles County Bar Association.[5]
As a defense attorney, White attained a high reputation, but he preferred work on civil cases to criminal trials.[6] He was also active in civic organizations, including theLos Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and theNative Sons of the Golden West.[7][8]
ADemocrat, White served asLos Angeles County District Attorney from 1882 to 1884.[1] He was a delegate to the1888 Democratic National Convention inSt. Louis, which re-nominatedGrover Cleveland for president.[1] In a sign of his growing national stature, White was appointed as the convention's temporary chairman.[9]
White was a member of theCalifornia State Senate from 1887 to 1891.[10] He was president pro tempore for both legislative sessions and acted asacted as thelieutenant governor from September 1887 to January 1891, followingRobert Waterman's accession to the governorship.[10] White was a trustee of the State Normal School at Los Angeles (now theUniversity of California, Los Angeles) from 1887 to 1893.[10]
In1893, White was elected to theUnited States Senate.[1] He served one term, March 4, 1893, to March 3, 1899.[1] He was the first native Californian to represent the state in the U.S. Senate.[10] During his Senate term, White was chairman of the Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation of Arid Lands.[11] As a senator, White was most notable for his work during theFree Harbor Fight, the effort to secure a deep water harbor atSan Pedro, which later became thePort of Los Angeles.[12] White was a delegate to the1896 Democratic National Convention inChicago, which nominatedWilliam Jennings Bryan.[1] His leadership was again recognized when he was appointed the convention's permanent chairman.[1]
White was not a candidate for a second term in 1899 and resumed practicing law in Los Angeles. From 1899 to 1901 he served as a Regent of the University of California.[10] White died in Los Angeles on February 21, 1901.[7] He was interred atCalvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.[13]
In 1883, White married Hortense Sacriste (1857–1935).[1] They were the parents of six children, four of whom lived to adulthood:
Stephen M. White Middle School inCarson, California, opened in 1957 and is named in White's honor.[15]
A statue memorializing White was paid for by friends and admirers and installed outside the Los Angeles County Courthouse in 1908.[16] In 1959, the old courthouse was condemned, and the White statue was moved to the grounds of the new courthouse.[16] In 1989, the statue was moved to the entrance off Cabrillo Beach off Stephen M. White Drive in San Pedro.[16]
Since 2019, individuals who object to White's support of theChinese Exclusion Act and other racist actions have advocated for the name of the school to be changed.[5] They have also proposed removing the statue from public display.[5]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Robert Waterman Lieutenant Governor | ActingLieutenant Governor of California 1887–1891 | Succeeded by John B. Reddick Lieutenant Governor |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 1) from California 1893–1899 Served alongside:Leland Stanford,George C. Perkins | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
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| Class 3 | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
