Philo White, Jr., (June 23, 1796February 15, 1883) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

newspaper publisher, Democratic politician, and

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

pioneer. He was United States Minister (ambassador) to

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

during the presidency of

Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...

, and was a member of the first session of the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

Early life

White was born in

Whitestown, New York Whitestown is a town in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 18,667 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from Judge Hugh White, an early settler. The town is immediately west of Utica and the New York State Thruway (Inte ...

, on June 23, 1796. He was one of nine children born to Philo White (1767–1849) and Esther (''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' Holt) White (1764–1841). His paternal grandfather was Judge Hugh White, the namesake of Whitestown, New York, and a quartermaster during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. White obtained his early education at the Whitestown Seminary.

Career

In 1820, after spending a few years in a printing office in Utica, White moved to

Salisbury, North Carolina Salisbury is a city in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, United States; it has been the county seat of Rowan County since 1753 when its territory extended to the Mississippi River. Located northeast of Charlotte and within its metropolita ...

. From 1820 to 1830, White published the '' Western Carolinian''. From 1830 to 1834, he was a purchasing agent for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. From 1834 to 1836, he published the ''

Raleigh Standard Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southea ...

''. In 1836, he moved to

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, and in 1844, he moved to

Racine, Wisconsin Racine ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River. Racine is situated 22 miles (35 km) south of Milwaukee and approximately 60 ...

, while serving as a Purser in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

. He later helped to establish and edited the ''Milwaukee Sentinel''. White also owned and published the ''

Racine Advocate Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ) (; 22 December 163921 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille as well as an important literary figure in the Western traditio ...

'' for a time and was active in the founding of

Racine College Racine College was an Episcopal preparatory school and college in Racine, Wisconsin, that operated between 1852 and 1933. Located south of the city along Lake Michigan, the campus has been maintained and is today known as the DeKoven Center ...

. White, a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, was a member of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature from 1847 to 1848, and in 1848 became a member of the first

from the 17th District, serving for a year; he was succeeded by Free Soiler

Victor Willard Victor Mauro Willard (1813December 10, 1869) was an American farmer and Wisconsin pioneer. He served as a delegate to Wisconsin's first constitutional convention and was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate in 1849 and 1850, representing Racin ...

. On July 18, 1853, White was appointed U.S.

Chargé d'affaires A ''chargé d'affaires'' (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador ...

. He presented his credentials on December 27, 1853, and served through his appointment by President

on June 29, 1854, as U.S. Minister to Ecuador, for which he presented his credentials on September 2, 1854. On February 25, 1856, he was nominated as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Ecuador but it was withdrawn before the Senate acted on it. White presented his recall on September 14, 1858, and was succeeded by Charles R. Buckalew who was appointed by

James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...

Personal life

On May 9, 1822, White was married to Nancy R. Hampton (1816–1901) in

Rowan County, North Carolina Rowan County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of North Carolina that was formed in 1753, as part of the British Province of North Carolina. It was originally a vast territory with unlimited western boundaries, but its size w ...

, the daughter of William and Mary Hampton. Together, they were the parents of two daughters: * Mary White (1824–1844), who married

John Willis Ellis John Willis Ellis (November 23, 1820 – July 7, 1861) was the 35th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1859 to 1861. He was born in Rowan County, North Carolina. Ellis attended the University of North Carolina, studied law under ...

of Salisbury, North Carolina on August 25, 1844. After her death, he remarried and later became the 35th

Governor of North Carolina The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The governor directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander in chief of the military forces of the state. The current governor, ...

. * Esther White (1830–1832), who died young. White died on February 15, 1883, in Whitestown, New York.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:White, Philo People from Whitestown, New York People from Salisbury, North Carolina Politicians from Milwaukee Politicians from Racine, Wisconsin Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators Members of the Wisconsin Territorial Legislature Ambassadors of the United States to Ecuador 19th-century American newspaper publishers (people) 19th-century American newspaper editors Editors of Wisconsin newspapers 1796 births 1883 deaths 19th-century American diplomats 19th-century American politicians