Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Compton White moved during early childhood to Rankin County, Mississippi, and then in 1890 to Clark Fork, Idaho.

[4] It was this unexpected find that gave his family a small fortune and allowed him to become a real player in Idaho politics.

Like many rural politicians during the Great Depression, White sought policies and legislation that enabled farmers in Idaho to stabilize their finances and enhance their agricultural output.

At age 75, White sought the party's nomination in 1952 to regain his House seat in the 1st District, but lost to Gracie Pfost of Nampa.

[12][13] He retired from public life and died in Spokane in 1956, where he had lived for three years,[14][15] and was buried in the family cemetery in Clark Fork.