Richard White | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's16th district | |
| In office January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Ed Foreman |
| Succeeded by | Ronald D. Coleman |
| Member of theTexas House of Representatives from the 105-3 district | |
| In office January 11, 1955 – January 13, 1959 | |
| Preceded by | Frank Owen III |
| Succeeded by | Mauro Rosas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Richard Crawford White (1923-04-29)April 29, 1923 El Paso, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | February 18, 1998(1998-02-18) (aged 74) El Paso, Texas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 7 |
| Education | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Unit | 3rd Marine Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II • Pacific War |
| Awards | Purple Heart |
Richard Crawford White (April 29, 1923 – February 18, 1998) was an American lawyer,World War II veteran, andDemocratic politician fromEl Paso,Texas, who served in theTexas House of Representatives from 1955 to 1959 and in theU.S. House of Representatives from 1965 to 1983.
Born in El Paso, Texas, White graduated from Dudley Primary School,El Paso High School, and theCitizens' Military Training Camp atSan Antonio, Texas. Subsequently, from 1940 to 1942, he attended theUniversity of Texas at El Paso, then known as Texas Western College.
After his second year of college, White began hisWorld War II service from 1942 to 1945 in theUnited States Marine Corps as a rifleman andJapanese-Englishinterpreter in thePacific Theater. As a result of injuries suffered, he was awarded thePurple Heart.[1]
He actually received more votes than Johnson did in the 16th District.[2]
During his first term, White represented a monstrous district stretching from El Paso all the way to thePermian Basin—an area of over 42,000 square miles. However, after Texas' congressional map was thrown out inWesberry v. Sanders, his district was cut down to El Paso and a few inner-ring suburbs. He was reelected eight times from this district with almost no difficulty.
As a U.S. representative, White developed a reputation as a moderate Democrat. White voted in favor theVoting Rights Act of 1965 and theCivil Rights Act of 1968.[3][4] He also chaired the Democratic Research Organization, a group within the party that distributed information from the leadership relevant to pending votes.[5] Having Fort Bliss in the 16th Congressional District made White a natural choice for his place on the House Armed Services Committee. There he chaired the Military Personnel Subcommittee and was also instrumental in reorganization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also served for a while on the Interior, Post Office & Civil Service, and Science & Technology committees. White was described as a 'cautious conservative'.[6] Choosing not to run again in 1982, White returned to his hometown of El Paso to resume his law practice.[1]
White was married twice. His first marriage in 1949 to Katherine Huffman produced three sons, Rodrick, Richard, and Raymond. After her death in 1972, White married the former Kathleen Fitzgerald in 1973. The second marriage produced one daughter, Bonnie, two sons, Sean and Brian, and one step-son, Kenneth.
White died on February 18, 1998. He was interred atArlington National Cemetery, inArlington, Virginia.[7]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's 16th congressional district 1965–1983 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
