Lee Calvin White (September 1, 1923 – October 31, 2013) was an advisor to both President Kennedy and

Johnson Johnson may refer to: People and fictional characters *Johnson (surname), a common surname in English * Johnson (given name), a list of people * List of people with surname Johnson, including fictional characters *Johnson (composer) (1953–2011) ...

, most notably on

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...

matters.

Early life and education

White studied electrical engineering at the

University of Nebraska A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

graduated with a B.S. White then began studying law at the

University of Nebraska College of Law The University of Nebraska College of Law is the law school of the University of Nebraska system. It was founded in 1888 and became part of University of Nebraska in 1891. According to Nebraska's official 2017 ABA-required disclosures, 70.3% of th ...

graduating with his L.L.B.

Career

White worked as an attorney for the

Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolin ...

. From 1954 to 1957, and then from 1958 to 1961, he was assistant to Senator

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

. From 1961 to 1963 he was Assistant Special Counsel to President Kennedy. From 1963 to 1966 he was Associate Special Counsel, and then Special Counsel, to President Johnson. From 1966 to 1969 he was Chairman of the

Federal Power Commission The Federal Power Commission (FPC) was an independent commission of the United States government, originally organized on June 23, 1930, with five members nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The FPC was originally created in ...

. According to historian Robert Dallek, although he was "not overtly or dramatically evident as a public figure, he worked behind the scenes in an effective way to deliver on executive reforms or actions." He was instrumental in pushing through Congress the

Voting Rights Act of 1965 The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights move ...

In popular culture

In the 2014 film '' Selma'', he was played by Giovanni Ribisi.

References

External links

* * * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:White, Lee Calvin 1923 births 2013 deaths Advisors Chairmen of the Federal Power Commission Kennedy administration personnel Lyndon B. Johnson administration personnel Nixon administration personnel University of Nebraska College of Law alumni