Mark White - Former Governor of Texas, Career and Childhood
Mark White's Personal Details
Mark White is an American lawyer and former Governor of Texas
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | March 17, 1940 |
| Nationality | American |
| Famous | Democrats, Lawyers & Judges, Political Leaders, Former Governor of Texas |
| Ideologies | Democrats |
| Spouses | Linda Gale Thompson |
| Known as | Mark Wells White Jr. |
| Universities |
|
| Birth Place | Longview |
| Political Ideology | Democratic Party |
| Religion | Baptist |
| Height | 171 |
| Gender | Male |
| Father | Mark Wells White Sr. |
| Mother | Sarah Elizabeth White |
| Net Worth | $0.26 Million as of April 4,2017 |
| Sun Sign | Pisces |
| Born in | Longview |
| Famous as | Former Governor of Texas |
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Mark White's photo
Who is Mark White?
A lawyer by profession, Mark White got involved in politics at an early age, and strived to improve the state of Texas in his capacity as the governor. After receiving his degree in Business Administration from Baylor University, he went on to study law, and soon began practicing in the State Bar of Texas. During his tenure as Governor, Mark White was keen on bringing reforms so that the state’s reliance on oil industry would diversify, thereby reviving a dwindling Texan economy. He also brought in well-thought educational reforms to boost the condition of schools and teachers as he believed that students were the future of the state. Known to have sentenced many people to death when he was Governor, White’s decisions on capital punishments were taken after a lot of deliberation and study of eye-witness accounts. He was the chairman and member of various organizations of law enforcement and crime prevention. All the causes he fought for were ultimately aimed at improving his state. He ran for a second term for the governor’s office, but was unsuccessful.
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Childhood & Early Life
Mark White was born on March 17, 1940 to Mark Wells Sr. and Sarah Elizabeth, in Henderson, Rusk County, Texas. His family moved from Henderson to Houston, shortly after his birth.
He attended several public schools and graduated from Lamar High School in 1958. He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Baylor University four years later.
He then joined Baylor Law School and obtained Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1965. After being admitted to the State Bar of Texas, he practiced law privately and shortly afterwards, began his public service as assistant attorney general in the insurance, banking and securities division.
Career
He served in the 36th Infantry Division of the Texas National Guard besides doing public service. In 1969, he practiced law with the firm Reynolds, Allen and Cook for four years.
In 1973, he was appointed the Secretary of State of Texas, under Governor Dolph Briscoe. He streamlined the legal operations and made the services more responsive to the public, during his tenure.
In 1977, he was elected president of the National Association of the Secretaries of State, the youngest ever to be in office. This was the association’s highest office - and White was also elected secretary and treasurer earlier.
He stood for elections for the State Attorney General and easily defeated his rival from the Republican Party. In 1979, White became the 46th Attorney General of Texas and co-chaired the Federal-State Law Enforcement Coordination Committee.
Besides being the Attorney General, he was a member of the Governor's Organized Crime Prevention Council. He was also elected the chairman of the Southern Conference of Attorney Generals in 1981, which was an appointment at national level.
White sought governorship over serving as Attorney General. Winning by a wide margin, he was appointed the 43rd Governor of Texas, in 1983, a post he held for four years.
Having relied on the oil industry for long, Texas was in turmoil when oil prices declined. The economy went into recession creating chaos in the Texas governance and making it unstable.
As governor, his main aim was to preserve the state’s resources and enhance its economy and education. He also focussed on stabilizing the volatile economy and diversifying it, so that the state relied less on one single industry.
White also worked to improve the conditions of transportation, water resources and law enforcement. He brought in some tax reforms to try and lure new industries, to shift focus from the reliance on the oil industry.
Education was another area of importance for Mark White, since he believed that children were the resource of the future. He sought to improve performance levels in the state as well as ensure better quality of teaching by enhancing their salaries.
As governor, an important job was to oversee death sentences and executions, a job that required shrewd jurisdiction. White always reviewed each of the evidences painstakingly, to ensure that the executions were just and fair.
In the Sesquicentennial of Texas in 1986, he hosted a number of events in his capacity as governor. He commissioned the renovation of Texas State Capitol and also the restoration of the statue of the Goddess of Liberty, one of the most important landmarks of Texas.
His advisors comprised of prominent industrialists and senators. Industrialist H. Ross Perrot and State Senator Max Sherman were two such advisors to White.
Seeking a second term as governor in the 1986 general election, White lost out to his rival. According to popular opinion, one of the reasons for his downfall was his ‘No Pass, No Play’ policy in education, wherein, students who failed were barred from varsity games.
After his term as governor, White joined the law firm Keck, Mahin & Cate. He ran for the post of governor again in 1990, but was unsuccessful and was defeated by Ann Richards, a Democrat.
Currently, apart from being the president of GeoVox Company, White is also the Chairman of the Houston Independent School District Foundation. This is a non-profit organization that supports public schools in Houston.
Major Works
One of the major contributions made by White as a Governor was in the field of education – he was able to raise the performance standards of Texas students in Scholastic Aptitude Tests. In 1984, he appointed a committee on public education, passed the Education Opportunity Act, and also raised teachers’ salaries to improve quality.
White played a prominent role in preserving the Big 12 Conference of 2010, along with other prominent Texans, imploring all Big 12 schools to cooperate towards positive changes. The Big 12 Conference, an athletic conference of ten colleges, competing in football games, had begun to crumble after differences broke out among members.
Awards & Achievements:
Mark White was honored with the Baylor University Meritorious Achievement Award, Pro Texana/Medal of Service, in the year 2011-12. The award honors an individual whose contributions have furthered the missions of the Baylor University and have made a commendable impact in the public or non-profit sector.
White has always stood up in support of minorities and strived to include them into mainstream governance. Elma Salinas Ender was the first Hispanic woman to be appointed by him as a judge in a district court in Texas.
Personal Life & Legacy
Mark White is married to Linda Gale Thompson, whom he met as a student of Baylor University, while pursuing his BBA. They have three children, Mark III, Andrew and Elizabeth.
White was diagnosed with a rare form of kidney cancer at the age of 67. However, he has survived the disease with support from his doctor, family, friends and faith in religion.
Trivia
While serving as governor of Texas, this charismatic lawyer, made a cameo appearance in the TV soap opera, ‘Dallas’. The story revolves around a rich and feuding Texan family that owned oil fields and cattle ranches in Texas.
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Mark White biography timelines
- // 17th Mar 1940Mark White was born on March 17, 1940 to Mark Wells Sr. and Sarah Elizabeth, in Henderson, Rusk County, Texas. His family moved from Henderson to Houston, shortly after his birth.
- // 1958He attended several public schools and graduated from Lamar High School in 1958. He obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Baylor University four years later.
- // 1965He then joined Baylor Law School and obtained Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1965. After being admitted to the State Bar of Texas, he practiced law privately and shortly afterwards, began his public service as assistant attorney general in the insurance, banking and securities division.
- // 1969He served in the 36th Infantry Division of the Texas National Guard besides doing public service. In 1969, he practiced law with the firm Reynolds, Allen and Cook for four years.
- // 1973In 1973, he was appointed the Secretary of State of Texas, under Governor Dolph Briscoe. He streamlined the legal operations and made the services more responsive to the public, during his tenure.
- // 1977In 1977, he was elected president of the National Association of the Secretaries of State, the youngest ever to be in office. This was the association’s highest office - and White was also elected secretary and treasurer earlier.
- // 1979He stood for elections for the State Attorney General and easily defeated his rival from the Republican Party. In 1979, White became the 46th Attorney General of Texas and co-chaired the Federal-State Law Enforcement Coordination Committee.
- // 1981Besides being the Attorney General, he was a member of the Governor's Organized Crime Prevention Council. He was also elected the chairman of the Southern Conference of Attorney Generals in 1981, which was an appointment at national level.
- // 1983White sought governorship over serving as Attorney General. Winning by a wide margin, he was appointed the 43rd Governor of Texas, in 1983, a post he held for four years.
- // 1984One of the major contributions made by White as a Governor was in the field of education – he was able to raise the performance standards of Texas students in Scholastic Aptitude Tests. In 1984, he appointed a committee on public education, passed the Education Opportunity Act, and also raised teachers’ salaries to improve quality.
- // 1986In the Sesquicentennial of Texas in 1986, he hosted a number of events in his capacity as governor. He commissioned the renovation of Texas State Capitol and also the restoration of the statue of the Goddess of Liberty, one of the most important landmarks of Texas.
- // 1986Seeking a second term as governor in the 1986 general election, White lost out to his rival. According to popular opinion, one of the reasons for his downfall was his ‘No Pass, No Play’ policy in education, wherein, students who failed were barred from varsity games.
- // 1990After his term as governor, White joined the law firm Keck, Mahin & Cate. He ran for the post of governor again in 1990, but was unsuccessful and was defeated by Ann Richards, a Democrat.
- // 2010White played a prominent role in preserving the Big 12 Conference of 2010, along with other prominent Texans, imploring all Big 12 schools to cooperate towards positive changes. The Big 12 Conference, an athletic conference of ten colleges, competing in football games, had begun to crumble after differences broke out among members.
- // 2011Mark White was honored with the Baylor University Meritorious Achievement Award, Pro Texana/Medal of Service, in the year 2011-12. The award honors an individual whose contributions have furthered the missions of the Baylor University and have made a commendable impact in the public or non-profit sector.
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Mark White's FAQ
What is Mark White birthday?
Mark White was born at 1940-03-17
Where is Mark White's birth place?
Mark White was born in Longview
What is Mark White nationalities?
Mark White's nationalities is American
What is Mark White ideologies?
Mark White's ideologies is Democrats
Who is Mark White spouses?
Mark White's spouses is Linda Gale Thompson
What was Mark White universities?
Mark White studied at Lamar High School, Houston, TX (1958), BA Business Administration, Baylor University (1962), JD, Baylor University (1965)
What is Mark White's political ideology?
Mark White's political ideology is Democratic Party
What is Mark White's religion?
Mark White's religion is Baptist
How tall is Mark White?
Mark White's height is 171
Who is Mark White's father?
Mark White's father is Mark Wells White Sr.
Who is Mark White's mother?
Mark White's mother is Sarah Elizabeth White
What is Mark White's sun sign?
Mark White is Pisces
How famous is Mark White?
Mark White is famouse as Former Governor of Texas