Theodore H. White facts for kids

Theodore Harold White (born May 6, 1915 – died May 15, 1986) was an American journalist and historian. He was well-known for his reports from China during World War II. He also wrote a famous series of books called Making of the President. These books explained how American presidential elections worked.

White began his career as a reporter for Time magazine in China during the 1940s. He was the first foreign journalist to report on a big famine in China. His work helped people around the world see the problems of the Chinese government at that time.

After leaving Time, he reported from Europe in the early 1950s. He later became famous again with his book The Making of the President 1960. This book used interviews and on-the-ground reporting to tell the story of the election. His style became a model for many journalists who came after him. He wrote more best-selling books about the 1964, 1968, 1972, and 1980 presidential elections.

Early Life and Education

Theodore White was born on May 6, 1915, in Dorchester, Boston. His father, David White, was a lawyer. Theodore grew up in a Jewish family. As a teenager, he was part of a youth group called Hashomer Hatzair.

He went to Boston Latin School and finished in 1932. After that, he studied history at Harvard College. There, he was a student of John K. Fairbank, who became a famous expert on China. Fairbank and White became friends for life. White also wrote for the college newspaper, The Harvard Crimson.

Reporting from China

After college, White received a special travel scholarship. He ended up in Chungking (now Chongqing), which was China's capital during the war. He found a job with China's Ministry of Information.

When Henry R. Luce, the founder of Time magazine, visited China, he met White. Luce was impressed by White's knowledge. White then became Time's reporter in China during World War II.

He was the first foreign journalist to report on the huge Henan Famine. He also wrote stories about the growing strength of the Chinese Communist Party.

White often felt frustrated because the Chinese government censored his reports. He also didn't like how his stories were changed by editors at Time magazine.

He decided to leave Time so he could write freely. He teamed up with Annalee Jacoby to write a best-selling book. It was called Thunder Out of China. The book described the problems and corruption of the government in China. It also showed how the Chinese Communist Party was gaining power.

White also wrote a novel called The Mountain Road (1958). It was about American soldiers in China during the war. The novel was later made into a movie in 1960.

After his time in China, White decided to focus on American politics. He wanted to understand his own country better.

The Making of the President Series

White used his experience in understanding other cultures to study American culture. He wrote a series of books about U.S. presidential elections.

His first book in the series was The Making of the President 1960 (1961). It was a huge success and won the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction in 1962. This book is still very important for understanding the 1960 election, which made John F. Kennedy president.

He then wrote more books for the 1964, 1968, and 1972 elections. These books also sold well.

A week after President Kennedy was assassinated, his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, asked White for help. She wanted him to write an article for Life magazine. She asked him to compare her husband's time as president to the mythical kingdom of Camelot. White had known the Kennedy family for a long time. He wrote an essay that helped create the idea of Kennedy's presidency as a "magic moment" in American history. White later said that comparing JFK's time to Camelot was a "misreading of history."

White also interviewed Richard Nixon. He wrote about Nixon's victories in the 1968 and 1972 elections. After the Watergate scandal and Nixon's resignation, White wrote Breach of Faith: The Fall of Richard Nixon (1975). This book gave a clear account of the scandal.

He returned to presidential coverage for the 1980 campaign. His book America in Search of Itself: The Making of the President 1956–80 (1982) looked at a quarter-century of American politics.

White planned to write another book about the 1984 election. However, the project did not work out as planned. A shorter analysis was published in Time magazine instead.

Personal Life and Passing

Theodore White was married to Nancy Bean, but they later divorced. They had a son, David Fairbank White, and a daughter, Heyden White Rostow. His second marriage was to Beatrice Kevitt Hofstadter.

On May 15, 1986, just nine days after his 71st birthday, White had a sudden stroke. He passed away in New York City.

Portrayals in Film

Theodore White's reporting in China was shown in the 2012 film Back to 1942. Actor Adrien Brody played his role.

In the 2016 film Jackie, which was about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, actor Billy Crudup played a character called "the Journalist." This character was meant to represent Theodore White.

Selected Books

• The Stilwell Papers (1948) by Joseph W. Stilwell, edited by Theodore H. White
• Fire in the Ashes: Europe in Mid Century (1953)
• The Mountain Road (1958), a novel that became a movie starring James Stewart
• The View from the Fortieth Floor (1960), a novel
• The Making of the President 1960 (1961)
• The Making of the President 1964 (1965)
• The Making of the President 1968 (1969)
• Caesar at the Rubicon: A Play About Politics (1968)
• The Making of the President 1972 (1973)
• Breach of Faith: The Fall of Richard Nixon (1975), about the Watergate Scandal
• In Search of History: A Personal Adventure (1978), his memoir
• America in Search of Itself: The Making of the President 1956–1980 (1982)
• Theodore H. White at Large: The Best of His Magazine Writing, 1939–1986 (1992)