He graduated from David Lipscomb College in 1932, and he earned a master's degree and PhD in history from Tulane University, finishing in 1953.
[4] White began his academic career as a professor of history at David Lipscomb College in 1953.
In 1958, he joined the history faculty at George Pepperdine College as chair of the social sciences division.
[3] White served the university in a number of roles, including as executive vice president,[7] and he founded the school's program in Heidelberg in 1963.
"[9] His tenure also saw the addition of 200 acres to the school's Malibu campus, the construction of a considerable number of buildings on campus—including Eddy D. Field Stadium—and the 1984 Summer Olympics, which took place, in part, at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool.