Frank D. White facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frank D. White
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White in 1995
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| 41st Governor of Arkansas | |
| In office January 19, 1981 – January 11, 1983 |
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| Lieutenant | Winston Bryant |
| Preceded by | Bill Clinton |
| Succeeded by | Bill Clinton |
| Chairman of the Little Rock Port Authority | |
| In office 1972–1973 |
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| Arkansas Banking Commissioner | |
| In office November 1998 – July 2003 |
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| Governor | Mike Huckabee |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Durward Frank Kyle Jr.
June 4, 1933 Texarkana, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | May 21, 2003 (aged 69) Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Mount Holly Cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. 34°44′15.3″N 92°16′42.5″W / 34.737583°N 92.278472°W |
| Political party | Democratic (before 1980) Republican (after 1980) |
| Spouses |
Mary Blue Hollenberg
(m. 1961; div. 1973)Gay Daniels
(m. 1975) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | United States Naval Academy (BS) |
| Profession | Banker, stockbroker |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1956–1961 |
| Rank |  Captain |
Frank Durward White (born Durward Frank Kyle Jr.; June 4, 1933 – May 21, 2003) was an American banker and politician. He served as the 41st governor of Arkansas. He was governor for one two-year term, from 1981 to 1983.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Frank White was born on June 4, 1933, in Texarkana, Texas. His birth name was Durward Frank Kyle Jr. When he was seven, his father passed away. His mother later married Loftin E. White, and Frank took his stepfather's last name.
After his stepfather died in 1950, the family moved back to Texarkana. Frank attended the New Mexico Military Institute. He then went to the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland, graduating in 1956 with an engineering degree.
Military Service
After college, White became a pilot in the United States Air Force. In 1957, he helped transport soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock. This was during the Little Rock Integration Crisis, a very important time in Arkansas history. White left the Air Force in 1961 as a Captain.
Family and Faith
Frank White married Mary Blue Hollenberg, and they had three children. They later divorced in 1973. In 1975, he married Gay Daniels. They did not have children together, but Gay helped raise his children from his first marriage.
White was baptized at a church in Texarkana when he was young. Later, he helped start a new church in Little Rock called Fellowship Bible Church.
Career Before Politics
After leaving the Air Force in 1961, White worked in banking and finance. He worked at Merrill Lynch in Little Rock. In 1973, he joined Commercial National Bank.
From 1972 to 1973, White was the first director of the Little Rock Port Authority. This group helps manage the port in Little Rock. In 1975, Arkansas Governor David Pryor chose White to lead the Arkansas Industrial Development Commission (AIDC). This commission works to bring new businesses to Arkansas.
In 1977, White left the AIDC. He then became the president of Capital Savings and Loan Co., a financial company.
Governor of Arkansas
The 1980 Election
In early 1980, Frank White changed his political party from Democrat to Republican. He decided to run for governor. He won the Republican nomination, defeating Marshall Chrisman.
The main election was against the current governor, Bill Clinton. White's campaign focused on two main issues. One was a recent increase in the cost of car tags, which many people disliked. The other was about Cuban refugees sent to a camp in Arkansas by the national government. White won the election with 51.9% of the votes. He became the second Republican governor in Arkansas since the time after the Civil War.
Time as Governor
As governor, Frank White signed a law that said public schools in Arkansas had to teach both creationism and the theory of evolution. However, this law was later overturned in court in 1982.
White also caused some discussion when he appointed Orval Faubus to lead the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs. Faubus was a former Democratic governor.
Later Elections
White ran for governor again in 1982, but he lost to Bill Clinton in a rematch. Clinton won with 54.7% of the votes. In 1986, White challenged Clinton for governor one more time but lost again.
Later Career and Legacy
After his last run for governor in 1986, Frank White returned to banking. He worked as a senior vice president at First Commercial Bank in Little Rock until 1998.
From 1998 to 2003, Governor Mike Huckabee appointed White as the Arkansas Banking Commissioner. In this role, he visited all of Arkansas' state-chartered banks at least once a year. He held this job until shortly before he passed away.
Frank White died from a heart attack in 2003 at the age of 69. He is buried at Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock.
Since 2006, the Arkansas Republican Party has given out the "Hi, I'm Frank White" award. This award is the highest honor given by the Arkansas Republican Party.
See also
