Edward Douglass White (March 3, 1795 – April 18, 1847) was tenth Governor of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

and a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

. He served five non-consecutive terms in Congress, as an adherent of Henry Clay of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

and the Whig Party.

Biography

White was born in

Maury County Maury County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee, in the Middle Tennessee region. As of the 2020 census, the population was 100,974. Its county seat is Columbia. Maury County is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, the

illegitimate Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as '' ...

son of James White. (Although his parents apparently never married, his father acknowledged him, and the circumstances of his birth did not impede his education or future success.) James White was a delegate to the Continental Congress. While a young boy, Edward moved with his father to Louisiana. In 1815, White graduated from the former University of Nashville, afterward beginning a

law practice In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professi ...

Donaldsonville, Louisiana Donaldsonville (historically french: Lafourche-des-Chitimachas) is a city in, and the parish seat of Ascension Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located along the River Road of the west bank of the Mississippi River, it is a part of the ...

, the seat of

Ascension Parish Ascension Parish (french: Paroisse de l'Ascension, es, Parroquia de Ascensión) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 126,500. Its parish seat is Donaldsonville. The parish was created ...

, south of Baton Rouge. Ten years later, he was appointed by Governor Henry S. Johnson, also of Donaldsonville, as an Associate Judge of the

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Municipal Court in 1825. In 1834 he married Catherine Sidney Lee Ringgold, daughter of

Tench Ringgold Tench Ringgold (March 3, 1777July 31, 1844) was a businessman and political appointee in Washington, D.C. He was U.S. marshal of the District of Columbia, appointed by President James Monroe (18171825) and serving in the position through 1830, dur ...

, long the US Marshal in the District of Columbia. Their children included Edward Douglass White Jr.

Political career

Elected to the 21st United States Congress in 1828, White served three terms from 1829 until his resignation in 1834 after being elected as

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

. He served a single term as governor (1835–1839). Afterward, he was elected to the US Congress again, serving two more terms from 1839 until 1843.

Lioness incident

White was among the survivors of the steamboat ''

Lioness A lioness is a female lion. Lioness(es) may also refer to: Music * Lioness Records, a British record label * Lioness (band), a Canadian indie rock band ** ''Lioness'' (EP), their 2008 EP * ''Lioness'' (Sivert Høyem album), 2016 * ''Lioness ...

'' explosion that occurred on the Red River south of Natchitoches on May 19, 1833.

Death and burial

He died in New Orleans and was buried at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in

Thibodaux Thibodaux ( ) is a city in, and the parish seat of, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the banks of Bayou Lafourche in the northwestern part of the parish. The population was 15,948 at the 2020 census. Thibodaux is a principal city ...

, Louisiana. His home in Thibodaux is now operated by the

Louisiana State Museum The Louisiana State Museum (LSM), founded in New Orleans in 1906, is a statewide system of National Historic Landmarks and modern structures across Louisiana, housing thousands of artifacts and works of art reflecting Louisiana's legacy of historic ...

as the Edward Douglass White Historic Site.

Family

White's son Edward Douglass White Jr. was elected by the state legislature as a

United States senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from Louisiana. He was appointed as an associate justice of the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

, later appointed 9th Chief Justice by

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

References

Sources

Political Graveyard

External links

State of Louisiana - BiographyCemetery Memorial
by La-Cemeteries * 1795 births 1847 deaths Governors of Louisiana People from Donaldsonville, Louisiana People from Thibodaux, Louisiana People from Maury County, Tennessee Louisiana National Republicans National Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana 19th-century American politicians Whig Party state governors of the United States Shipwreck survivors {{Louisiana-politician-stub