Wallace H. White facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wallace White
White c. 1924
Senate Majority Leader
In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949
Deputy	Kenneth S. Wherry
Preceded by	Alben W. Barkley
Succeeded by	Scott W. Lucas
Leader of the Senate Republican Conference
In office February 25, 1944 – January 3, 1949
Deputy	Kenneth S. Wherry
Preceded by	Charles L. McNary
Succeeded by	Kenneth S. Wherry
Chair of the Senate Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee
In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949
Preceded by	Burton K. Wheeler
Succeeded by	Edwin C. Johnson
Senate Minority Leader
In office February 25, 1944 – January 3, 1947 Acting: February 25, 1944 – January 3, 1945
Deputy	Kenneth S. Wherry
Preceded by	Charles L. McNary
Succeeded by	Alben W. Barkley
Secretary of the Senate Republican Conference
In office January 3, 1941 – February 25, 1944
Leader	Charles L. McNary
Preceded by	Frederick Hale
Succeeded by	Harold Hitz Burton
United States Senator from Maine
In office March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1949
Preceded by	Arthur R. Gould
Succeeded by	Margaret Smith
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine's 2nd district
In office March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1931
Preceded by	Daniel J. McGillicuddy
Succeeded by	Donald B. Partridge
Personal details
Born	Wallace Humphrey White Jr. (1877-08-06)August 6, 1877 Lewiston, Maine, U.S.
Died	March 31, 1952(1952-03-31) (aged 74) Auburn, Maine, U.S.
Resting place	Mt. Auburn Cemetery
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Nina Lumbard
Relations	William P. Frye (grandfather)
Education	Bowdoin College (BA)

Wallace Humphrey White Jr. (born August 6, 1877 – died March 31, 1952) was an important American politician. He was a leader in the Republican Party and served in the United States Congress from 1917 to 1949. White came from the state of Maine. He first served in the U.S. House of Representatives. Later, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. In the Senate, he became the Senate Minority Leader and then the Majority Leader before he retired.

Wallace White's Early Life

Wallace White was born in Lewiston, Maine. His grandfather, William P. Frye, was also a famous politician. He had served as a Senator from Maine. White graduated from Bowdoin College in Brunswick in 1899.

After college, White worked as an assistant clerk for the Senate Committee on Commerce. He also became his grandfather's secretary. White then studied law and became a lawyer. He started his law practice in Lewiston.

Wallace White's Political Career

Wallace White's journey in politics began when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1916. He was a member of the Republican Party. He started his term on March 4, 1917, and served until March 3, 1931.

Leading Important Committees

During his time in Congress, White led several important committees. These included:

• The House Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Justice.
• The House Committee on Woman Suffrage, which worked on women's right to vote.
• The House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, dealing with shipping and fishing.
• The Senate Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.

He was also chosen by the President to serve on various special groups.

Moving to the Senate

In late 1930, White was elected to the U.S. Senate. He left the House of Representatives in 1931 to join the Senate. He was reelected in 1936 and 1942. He served as a Senator from March 4, 1931, until January 3, 1949.

Becoming a Senate Leader

White's fellow Senators chose him to be the Minority Leader from 1944 to 1947. This meant he was the main leader for the Republican Party when they were not the biggest party in the Senate. When his party gained more members in the 80th Congress, he became the Majority Leader (1947–1949). This made him the top leader for his party in the Senate.

A writer named John Gunther wrote in 1947 that White's main job as Majority Leader was to balance the ideas of two other strong Senators, Taft and Vandenberg. Gunther noted that everyone liked White, even if he wasn't always the center of attention.

Key Votes and Retirement

In 1937, White was one of the few Senators who voted against Hugo Black joining the Supreme Court. White did not run for reelection in 1948. He retired from politics after many years of service.

Wallace White passed away in Auburn in 1952. He was buried at the Mt. Auburn Cemetery.

Wallace White's Family Life

Wallace White was married two times. His first marriage was to Anna Pratt of Lewiston in 1903. They had one son, Herbert Frye White, born in 1904. Sadly, in 1914, Anna Pratt White and their infant daughter, Helen Hayden White, both died during childbirth.

In 1917, White married Nina Lumbard Lunn. Nina was a widow and had two children from her previous marriage: a son named Richard Lunn and a daughter named Nina Katherine Lunn.