Edward Higgins White (May 22, 1901 – November 7, 1978) was a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

general who served in the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

Budget Office during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and commanded the 1503rd Air Transport Wing in the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. A graduate of the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

at West Point class of 1924, he was commissioned in the Army Air Corps and learned to fly both airships and airplanes. He attended

Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...

, from which he received his

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...

in 1937, and spent

working as a budget and financial officer, first at the

Air Materiel Command Air Materiel Command (AMC) was a United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. In 1961, the command was redesignated the Air Force Logistics Command wi ...

at Wright Field, Ohio, and then in the Office of the Chief of United States Army Air Forces in Washington, D.C. He transferred to the

when it was created in 1947. After service in the Korean War he became chief of the

Army and Air Force Exchange Service The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES, also referred to as The Exchange and The PX or The BX) is the retailer in U.S. Army and Air Force installations worldwide. The Exchange is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and its director/chief exe ...

in New York City. He then served as commander of the 3750th Technical Training Wing at

Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located north of the central business district of Wichita Falls, in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the largest training base and most diversified in Air Educatio ...

, until he retired in 1957 with the rank of

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Early life and career

Edward Higgins White was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on May 22, 1901, the second of three sons of Alexander and Cecilia Higgins White. He had an older brother, James Cecillus White, who attended the

at West Point but failed to graduate with the class of 1919. James was commissioned as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

and eventually retired as a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in 1953. His younger brother, John Alexander White, attended the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

at Annapolis and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

. A guard at the Embassy of the United States, Beijing, when the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...

broke out on December 8, 1941, he spent four years in captivity, but eventually retired with the rank of colonel. Edward H

Appointed from Indiana, Edward White followed his older brother to West Point, which he entered on July 1, 1920. He graduated 270th out of 405 in the class of 1924 on June 12, 1924, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

. He attended the Air Corps Primary Flying School at

Brooks Field, Texas Brooks may refer to: Places ;Antarctica *Cape Brooks ;Canada *Brooks, Alberta ;United States *Brooks, Alabama * Brooks, Arkansas *Brooks, California *Brooks, Georgia *Brooks, Iowa *Brooks, Kentucky * Brooks, Maine *Brooks Township, Michigan *Br ...

, the Air Corps Advanced Flying School at

Kelly Field, Texas Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. In ...

, and finally the Air Corps Balloon and Airship School at

Scott Field, Illinois Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Saska ...

, from which he graduated as a Balloon Observer and Airship Pilot on July 20, 1926. He married Mary Haller, a girl from Fort Wayne, on July 22, 1925. They had three children: a daughter, Jeanne, born in 1927, and sons Edward Higgins White II, born in 1930, and James Blair White, born in 1942. In 1927, White became the first man to land a

dirigible An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...

on water, in order to rescue a fellow balloonist. After duty at Scott Field as a flying instructor until July 1, 1929, he attended the Air Corps Primary Flying School at Kelly Field, graduating on February 28, 1930, and then the Advanced Flying School there. He was promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

on October 5, 1929, and on graduation on June 21, 1930, he was rated as an Airplane Pilot. White remained at Kelly Field as assistant post adjutant of the Air Corps Training Center until June 12, 1931, when he was posted to the

6th Pursuit Squadron The 6th Weapons Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the USAF Weapons School, based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. It was previously assigned to the Seventh Air Force, being inactivated at Yokota Airfield, ...

at Wheeler Field, Hawaii, becoming its commander on September 12, 1931, and was adjutant of the

18th Pursuit Group 18 (eighteen) is the natural number following 17 and preceding 19. In mathematics * Eighteen is a composite number, its divisors being 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9. Three of these divisors (3, 6 and 9) add up to 18, hence 18 is a semiperfect number. ...

as well until June 10, 1933. He returned to the United States in August 1933, and entered the Army Industrial College. He graduated on June 12, 1934, and was sent to Chicago as a procurement planning representative. He was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on August 1, 1935, and then entered

, from which he received his

degree on June 8, 1937. He was then posted to the headquarters of the

at Wright Field, Ohio, as Assistant Budget Officer.

World War II

In October 1939, White was transferred to the Office of the Chief of the Air Corps in Washington, D.C., to work in the Budget Office. He was promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

on March 11, 1940. He attended the Air Corps Tactical School at

Maxwell Field, Alabama Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) installation under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. O ...

, and then returned to Wright Field as Budget Officer. He was promoted to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

on November 5, 1941, and colonel on March 12, 1943. White returned to Washington, D.C., in August 1944 as Assistant Budget and Fiscal Officer in the Office of the Chief of

. For his services he was awarded the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

, and the

Army Commendation Ribbon The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...

Cold War

On October 1, 1947, White transferred to the

, with the rank of

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. He served as deputy air comptroller from November 7, 1947, to February 2, 1948, then as director of the budget from until December 31, 1948, and as assistant comptroller until July 20, 1949. White commanded the 1503rd Air Transport Wing in Japan until July 1951, which shipped supplies and personnel to the forces fighting in the

. For his services he was awarded the

Army Distinguished Service Medal The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. Th ...

. On returning to the United States in July 1951, he became chief of the

in New York City. He then became commander of the 3750th Technical Training Wing at

, on September 1, 1954. He retired from the Air Force as a

on July 31, 1957. For his services he was awarded a second Legion of Merit.

Later life

White's son Lt. Colonel Edward H. White II graduated from West Point with the class of 1952, and later became an

astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

, and the first American to "walk" in space. He was killed in the Apollo 1 fire in 1967. White's second son, Major James B. White, was a graduate of the

United States Air Force Academy The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and Uni ...

. He was killed when his F-105 Thunderchief crashed in Laos in 1969. White died on November 7, 1978 at this home in

St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...

, and was buried in West Point Cemetery.

Notes

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:White, Edward Higgins Sr. 1901 births 1978 deaths People from Fort Wayne, Indiana United States Military Academy alumni Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy alumni Harvard Business School alumni Air Corps Tactical School alumni United States Army Air Forces officers United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II Recipients of the Legion of Merit United States Air Force personnel of the Korean War United States Air Force generals Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) People from St. Petersburg, Florida Burials at West Point Cemetery