Compton Ignatius White, Sr. (July 31, 1877 – March 31, 1956), was a U.S. representative for Northern Idaho. A Democrat, he represented Idaho's 1st congressional district and served a total of eight terms and chaired a committee.

Early years

Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Compton White moved during early childhood to Rankin County, Mississippi, and then in 1890 to Clark Fork, Idaho. As a young man, he delivered newspapers while attending

public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...

. He attended Metropolitan Business College in Chicago, Illinois, and graduated from Gonzaga College in Spokane, Washington, in 1897.

Career

He worked on railroads in a number of capacities, as a trainman, conductor, and telegraph operator, until 1910. After this stretch, he worked in lumber, mining, and livestock raising; he was also a member of the Clark Fork Board of Trustees. In 1925, White received an unexpected windfall when a valuable mine of

galena Galena, also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead(II) sulfide (PbS). It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver. Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It cryst ...

ore was found on his property. It was this unexpected find that gave his family a small fortune and allowed him to become a real player in Idaho politics. He was a delegate to the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...

in 1928, 1932, and 1936, during which period he rose to prominence as a politician.

Congress

White first sought election to Congress during the

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

election; he gained the

Democratic 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 ...

nomination, but was soundly defeated by longtime Republican incumbent Burton French of Moscow. Both were nominated again in

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

and White unseated French as Franklin D. Roosevelt's landslide victory swept the nation. Like many rural politicians during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, White sought policies and legislation that enabled farmers in Idaho to stabilize their finances and enhance their agricultural output. White was also a supporter of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's

New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...

, which helped thousands of families in Idaho from 1933 to 1939. Due to a strong interest in reclamation projects in Idaho and the Pacific Northwest in general, White chaired the now-defunct Irrigation committee while in Congress, and also was a member of the Committee on Coins, Weights and Measures. One of Congressman White's major accomplishments while in office was the acceptance and use of silver certificates by the Department of the Treasury. The American Silver Purchase Act of 1934 was a major win for White and the silver mining industry in Idaho, Montana, and Colorado, as the federal government had purchased silver at prices well above market value, which enabled mine operators to remain in business during the

. Congressman White was also instrumental in bringing large irrigation projects to Idaho, including the Bonneville Dam project in 1938 and the Grand Coulee Dam project in 1941. Although he left Mississippi with his family at a relatively early age, White deeply internalized the racial views of his birthplace, railing against the Chinese during the debate over the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1943, arguing that "There is no

melting pot The melting pot is a monocultural metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" with a common culture; an alternative being a homogeneous society becoming more heterogeneous throug ...

in America that can change their habits or change their mentality."89 Cong. Rec. 8626 1943 He sought re-election to an eighth term in the

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

race but was narrowly defeated by Republican Abe M. Goff of Moscow. In the

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

election, White defeated Goff and returned to the House but had lost his seniority. In 1950, he sought the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, but it went to

D. Worth Clark David Worth Clark (April 2, 1902June 19, 1955), was a Democratic congressman and United States Senator from Idaho, its first U.S. Senator born in the state. Early years Clark was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho and attended public schools there ...

of Pocatello. At age 75, White sought the party's nomination in 1952 to regain his House seat in the 1st District, but lost to

Gracie Pfost Gracie Bowers Pfost (March 12, 1906 – August 11, 1965) was the first woman to represent Idaho in the United States Congress, serving five terms as a Democrat in the House of Representatives. Pfost represented the state's 1st district from 1953 ...

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. He retired from public life and died in Spokane in 1956, where he had lived for three years, and was buried in the family cemetery in Clark Fork. His only son, Compton I. White, Jr. (1920-1998), was also elected to Congress for the First District in

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...

and

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

. He lost elections in

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

and

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

Election results

Source: ^ 1948 election included 93 votes (0.1%) for Socialist Party candidate Richard M. Shaefer.

References

External links

Political Graveyard
– Compton I. White {{DEFAULTSORT:White, Compton Ignatius, Sr. 1877 births 1956 deaths Gonzaga University alumni Politicians from Spokane, Washington People from Bonner County, Idaho People from Rankin County, Mississippi Politicians from Baton Rouge, Louisiana Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Idaho Catholics from Louisiana Catholics from Washington (state) Catholics from Mississippi Catholics from Idaho