Born: November 26, 1820 (Georgetown, D.C.)
Died: November 10, 1893 (Fairmont, Marion, WV)
Education:
- Dickinson College (1841)
Occupation:
- Preacher and Educator
- Entered Baltimore Conference (1844)
- Principal of Olin and Preston Institute, Blacksburg, VA (1842-1855)
- Principal of Fairmont Male and Female Seminary, Fairmont, WV (1856-1863)
- First State Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1864-1869
- President of State Normal School, Fairmont, WV (1869-1870)
- Stationed: Morgantown (1876)
- Stationed: Fairmont (1877)
- Stationed: Wheeling (Chaplaine Street) (1878-1879)
- Presiding Elder Buckhannon District (1879-1883)
- Stationed: Fairmont (1884)
- Stationed: Morgantown (1886-1889)
Where they lived: Fairmont, WV
Years Served: 1890; 1893-1894
Notes:
- In his early manhood, White had the special privilege of listening to the great orators of that day – (Webster, Clay, Calhoun). This had quite an impact on the young preacher and educator.
Sources:
- Atkinson, G.W. & Gibbens, A.F. (1890). Prominent men of West Virginia: biographical sketches, the growth and advancement of the state,a compendium of returns of every election, a record of every state officer[electronic]. Retrieved from Internet Archive. Wheeling: W.L. Callin.
- Trotter, J.R. (1901). Biennial Report of the State Superintendent of Free Schools of West Virginia for the Two Years Ended June 30, 1900. Charleston.
- Catalog: 1890 (p. 4); 1893-94 (p. 4)
- Travelers on the Long Road, Vol II, p. 386-87
“The Reverend Mr. William R. White (1820-1893) was born in Georgetown, District of Columbia. Mr. White, a graduate of Dickinson College, served as pastor of churches in the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church from 1844-1852. He became president of Olin and Preston Institute, Blacksburg, Virginia, in 1852. From 1856 to 1863 he was president of the Male and Female Seminary, Fairmont, West Virginia. Mr. White was the first state superintendent of the free school system of West Virginia from 1864-69. During 1869-70 he was president of the state normal school at Fairmont. He returned to the pastorate for a period of twelve years during which he served as presiding elder of the Buckhannon District from 1879-83. The year before his death he was principal of the Buckhannon graded schools, and during 1892-93 he was principal of the Fairmont graded schools.”
Plummer, K.M. (1965) A history of West Virginia Wesleyan College 1890-1965. [electronic] Retrieved from Internet Archive. Buckhannon, WV: West Virginia Wesleyan College.
Updated 9/1/2019 PLM