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| Mark Wells White | |
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43rd Governor of Texas
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| In office January 18, 1983 – January 20, 1987 |
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| Lieutenant | William P. Hobby, Jr. |
| Preceded by | William Perry "Bill" Clements, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | William Perry "Bill" Clements, Jr. |
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| Born | March 17, 1940 Longview, Texas |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Mark Wells White (born March 17, 1940) is an American lawyer, who served as the forty-third Governor of Texas from 1983-1987. He is currently considered to be a potential contender for the 2009 Houston mayoral race[1]. Asked in a recent interview about running for mayor, White said, "It's a prospect."
Born in Henderson, Texas, in Rusk County, White attended Baylor University in Waco, and was a member of the prestigious Tryon Coterie Club, now Phi Delta Theta (Texas Lambda Chapter) at Baylor. He graduated with a law degree in 1965. After spending time practicing law in a private practice in Houston (Harris County), White served as the state's assistant attorney general. In 1969, White was appointed as Texas secretary of state under Governor Dolph Briscoe.
White served as secretary of state until 1977, when he resigned to run for state attorney general, where he served until 1983. In the 1978 general election, White defeated the Republican choice, James A. Baker, III, a Houston lawyer, businessman, and power broker affiliated with the Bushes of Houston.
White ran for governor in 1982 against incumbent Bill Clements, Texas' first Republican governor since Reconstruction. He defeated Clements over concerns about the governor's poor economic numbers and lack of support from minority groups. However, four years later, White was defeated by Clements, who opted for a second, nonconsecutive term. Some believe that the wildly unpopular "no-pass, no-play" policies of the White administration, which prohibited any high school student athletes from participating in varsity sports if they were failing any single element of their overall class load, sealed the doom of a second term.
White served as governor during Texas' sesquicentennial in 1986 and oversaw a number of the celebrations concerning that anniversary. He also made a cameo appearance in the popular CBS drama series Dallas. Following his departure from office, White worked for the law firm Keck, Mahin & Cate. White attempted to run for governor again in 1990, but was defeated in the Democratic primary by Ann Richards, who later went on to win the general election.
White, who practices law, is chairman of the board for the Houston Independent School District Foundation, a non-profit organization which supports the public schools. In recent years, White endorsed Houston City Council candidate Jolanda Jones in the 2003 and 2007 city elections; the latter endorsement led to winning an at-large seat.
References
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This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (September 2009) |
External links
- Photos of Mark White, hosted by the Portal to Texas History
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by V. Larry Teaver, Jr. |
Secretary of State of Texas 1973-1977 |
Succeeded by George Strake, Jr. |
| Preceded by Bill Clements (first time) |
Governor of Texas 1983–1987 |
Succeeded by Bill Clements (second time) |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by John L. Hill, Jr. |
Texas Attorney General 1979–1983 |
Succeeded by Jim Mattox |
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