Edward Douglass White, Sr.

For other people of the same name, see Edward White (disambiguation).

Edward Douglass White, Sr.
10th Governor of Louisiana
In office February 4, 1835 – February 4, 1839
Preceded by	Andre B. Roman
Succeeded by	Andre B. Roman
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 1st district
In office March 4, 1829 – 1834
Preceded by	Edward Livingston
Succeeded by	Henry Johnson
In office March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843
Preceded by	Henry Johnson
Succeeded by	John Slidell
Personal details
Born	March 3, 1795 Maury County, Tennessee
Died	April 18, 1847(1847-04-18) (aged 52) New Orleans, Louisiana
Political party	Whig
Spouse(s)	Catherine Ringgold
Alma mater	University of Nashville
Religion	Catholic

Edward Douglass White, Sr. (March 3, 1795 – April 18, 1847) was the tenth Governor of Louisiana and a member of the United States House of Representatives. He served five non-consecutive terms in Congress, as an adherent of Henry Clay of Kentucky and the Whig Party.

White was born in Maury County, Tennessee, the illegitimate son of James White. (Although his parents apparently never married, his father acknowledged him, and the circumstances of his birth did not impede his education or future success.) James White was a delegate to the Continental Congress. While a young boy, Edward moved with his father to Louisiana.

In 1815, White graduated from the former University of Nashville, afterward beginning a law practice in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, the seat of Ascension Parish, south of Baton Rouge. Ten years later, he was appointed by Governor Henry S. Johnson, also of Donaldsonville, as an Associate Judge of the New Orleans Municipal Court in 1825.

In 1834 he married Catherine Sidney Lee Ringgold, daughter of Tench Ringgold, long the US Marshal in the District of Columbia. Their children included Edward Douglass White, Jr.

Elected to the 21st United States Congress in 1828, White served three terms from 1829 until his resignation in 1834 after being elected as governor. He served a single term as governor (1835–1839). Afterward, he was elected to the US Congress again, serving two more terms from 1839 until 1843.

White was among the survivors of the steamboat Lioness explosion that occurred on the Red River south of Natchitoches on May 19, 1833. He died in New Orleans and was buried at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Thibodaux, Louisiana. His home in Thibodaux is now operated by the Louisiana State Museum as the Edward Douglass White Historic Site.

White's son Edward Douglass White, Jr. was elected by the state legislature as a United States senator from Louisiana. He was appointed as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, later appointed 9th Chief Justice by U.S. President William Howard Taft.

Sources

• Edward Douglass White, Sr. at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Political Graveyard

External links

• State of Louisiana - Biography
• Cemetery Memorial by La-Cemeteries
• Find a Grave, Edward Douglass White, Sr.

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Edward Livingston	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 1st congressional district 1829–1834	Succeeded by Henry Johnson
Preceded by Henry Johnson	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 1st congressional district 1839–1843	Succeeded by John Slidell
Political offices
Preceded by Andre B. Roman	Governor of Louisiana 1835–1839	Succeeded by Andre B. Roman