Born in Nelson, New Zealand in 1918,[1] White was educated at Timaru Boys' High School from 1930 to 1935.
[2] He then attended Canterbury University College, graduating Master of Arts with first-class honours in economics in 1941.
[5] White joined the New Zealand public service in 1945, posted to the Economic Stabilisation Commission.
He joined the Department of External Affairs in 1949, and had diplomatic postings to London—where he was economic counsellor at the New Zealand High Commission from 1954 to 1955 and deputy high commissioner from 1961 to 1964—and to Washington, where he was chargé d'affaires from 1958 to 1961 and ambassador from 1972 to 1978.
[2] Following his retirement in 1978, White was chief executive of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust.