Compton_I._White_Jr.
Compton I. White Jr.
American politician
Compton Ignatius White Jr. (December 19, 1920 – October 19, 1998) was a two-term congressman from northern Idaho. A Democrat, he was elected to the open seat in the first district in 1962 and re-elected in 1964.[1] White left office in January 1967 and was the last from the Idaho Panhandle region to represent the state in Congress.
Compton I. White Jr. | |
|---|---|
White in 1963 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Idaho's 1st district | |
| In office January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1967 | |
| Preceded by | Gracie Pfost |
| Succeeded by | Jim McClure |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Compton Ignatius White Jr. (1920-12-19)December 19, 1920 Spokane, Washington, US |
| Died | October 19, 1998(1998-10-19) (aged 77) Sandpoint, Idaho, US |
| Resting place | White Family Cemetery Clark Fork, Idaho, US |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Florence Eulalia Waddell White |
| Children | 5 sons, 1 daughter[1] |
| Residence | Clark Fork |
| Alma mater | University of Idaho, 1942 George Washington University |
| Profession | Agriculture, Mining |
The son of Congressman Compton I. White and Josephine Elizabeth White (née Bunn), White was born in Spokane, Washington, and grew up in his family's hometown of Clark Fork, Idaho, and in Washington, D.C. He attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C. for his freshman year of college,[2] then transferred to the University of Idaho in Moscow, where he graduated in 1942.[3]
During World War II, White worked as an engineer for Boeing in Seattle, and also in mining, logging, and livestock breeding. After the war, he returned to Clark Fork and served on the school board. From 1958 to 1962 White served as mayor of Clark Fork.
In 1960, White announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Henry Dworshak, but was third of five in the Democratic primary.[4][5] Runner-up Bob McLaughlin of Mountain Home won the runoff over leader Gregg Potvin of American Falls,[6][7] but lost the general election. That seat was open again in 1962 after Dworshak's death in July, and Gracie Pfost was the Democratic nominee, vacating her 1st district seat in the House. White won the Democratic primary and general election, the same seat his father held for eight terms.
White was re-elected in the Democratic landslide of 1964,[8] but was defeated for a third term in 1966 by Republican state senator Jim McClure of Payette, who defeated him again in 1968.
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Compton I. White Jr. | 51,422 | 53.0% | Erwin H. Schwiebert | 45,552 | 47.0% | ||
| 1964 | Compton I. White Jr. (inc.) | 56,203 | 51.7% | John Mattmiller | 52,468 | 48.3% | ||
| 1966 | Compton I. White Jr. (inc.) | 65,446 | 48.2% | Jim McClure | 70,410 | 51.8% | ||
| 1968 | Compton I. White Jr. | 62,002 | 40.6% | Jim McClure (inc.) | 90,870 | 59.4% |
Source:[9]
White secured a position as a consultant with the U.S. Treasury Department in 1967. Unopposed for the Democratic nomination in 1968, he ran again against the incumbent McClure, but lost by a large margin. Afterwards, White returned to Clark Fork and served on its city council, as well as working in ranching once again.
His grandson, Ryan M. White, currently serves as Legislative Director for Idaho Senator Jim Risch.[10]
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- "Compton 'Comp' White Jr". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. October 22, 1998. p. D5.
- Doyle, Randall Jordan (1996). The life and career of Congressman Compton White, Jr. and the Idaho Democratic Party in the 1960s (Ph.D.). University of Idaho. p. 30. OCLC 43774727.
- Wakeley, Daniel A. (June 8, 1960). "Northerners differ from Idaho vote in race". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 14.
- "McLaughlin lead reduced". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). June 11, 1960. p. 3.
- "Potvin leads Idaho race". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. June 8, 1960. p. 5.
- Wakeley, Daniel A. (June 29, 1960). "Northern Idaho prefers Potvin". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 6.
- "White says his race close because of Barry's showing". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). November 5, 1964. p. 5.
- "Office of the Clerk: Election statistics". U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
- United States Congress. "Compton I. White Jr. (id: W000362)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- University of Idaho Library – Compton I. White Jr. papers, 1963-1966
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | United States House of Representatives, Idaho First Congressional District January 3, 1963–January 3, 1967 |
Succeeded by |