He was born in Purandhar in 1863, the son of the Rev Adam White (1829-1864), a missionary for the Free Church of Scotland in India, originally from Aberdeen.
His father died of cholera, contracted from Hindu pilgrims at Sassoor, the year after his birth and Philip then returned to Scotland with his mother, Jane Littlejohn White (1832-1917).
In 1890 he took on the additional role as Director of the Biological Research Station on Puffin Island off the north Wales coast, being appointed by Prof William Abbott Herdman.
His proposers were James Cossar Ewart, Sir William Turner, Andrew Gray, and John Chiene.
[6] A few months after election he accepted a post as Professor of Zoology at University College, Bangor in Wales.