Wallace Humphrey White (August 6, 1877-March 31, 1952) was a prominent American politician and Republican leader in Congress from 1916 until 1949. White was from the U.S. state of Maine and served in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected to the U.S. Senate, where he was Senate Minority Leader and later Majority Leader before his retirement. White was born in Lewiston. His grandfather, William P. Frye, was also a prominent political figure, having served as a Senator from Maine and President pro tempore. In 1899, White graduated from Bowdoin College in Brunswick. After graduating, he became the assistant clerk to the Senate Committee on Commerce and later secretary to his grandfather. White studied law and was admitted to the bar, afterward beginning to practice in Lewiston.
The political career of White began when he was elected as a Republican to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1916. He took office on March 4 of the following year and served until March 3, 1931 (65th-71st Congresses). He left the House in 1931 after being elected to the Senate the following year.
In the Senate, White served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Justice (Sixty-sixth Congress), Committee on Woman Suffrage (Sixty-seventh through Sixty-ninth Congresses), Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries (Seventieth and Seventy-first Congresses); served as a presidential appointee on a variety of commissions; elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in 1930; reelected in 1936 and 1942 and served from March 4, 1931, to January 3, 1949; was not a candidate for renomination in 1948; minority leader 1944-1947; majority leader 1947-1949; chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce (80th Congress) He retired in 1949.
White died in Auburn and is interred at the Mt. Auburn Cemetery.
Preceded by: Daniel J. McGillicudy Congressperson, Maine's 2nd District 1917 - 1931 Succeeded by: Donald B. Partridge Preceded by: Arthur R. Gould U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Maine 1931 - 1949 Succeeded by: Margaret Chase Smith Preceded by: Charles L. McNary Senate Minority Leader 1945 - 1947 Succeeded by: Alben Barkley Preceded by: Alben Barkley Senate Majority Leader 1947 - 1949 Succeeded by: Scott W. Lucas United States Senate Majority Leaders Curtis • Watson • Robinson • Barkley • White • Lucas • McFarland • Taft • Knowland • Johnson • Mansfield • Byrd • Baker • Dole • Byrd • Mitchell • Dole • Lott • Daschle • Lott • Daschle • Frist
