White, Mark, 1940-

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Mark Wells White, Jr. was born in Henderson, Texas on March 17, 1940. He attended Houston public schools and Baylor University, earning a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1962 and a law degree from Baylor Law School in 1965. White worked briefly in a private legal practice in Houston before serving three years as an Assistant Attorney General. In 1969, he returned to Houston to a private practice until 1973 when Governor Dolph Briscoe appointed him Secretary of State.

White resigned as Secretary of State in October 1977 in order to run for Attorney General. After being elected and serving as Attorney General from 1979 to 1983, he ran against and defeated Governor Bill Clements in the 1982 governor's race. Governor Mark White served as head of the state from January 18, 1983 to January 20, 1987.

During his term in office, White focused his energies on education reform (HB 72, including no-pass/no-play) and utility rate regulation. White also concentrated on economic development and the appointment of minorities to positions on his staff and in the government. Texas' Sesquicentennial occurred in 1986, and the Governor attended and hosted a number of events. The Goddess of Liberty atop the Texas Capitol was restored and planning for Capitol restoration began during White's term in office.

White was defeated by Clements in the 1986 election and returned to private life after his term ended in January 1987. He ran for governor in the Democratic primary in 1990 but lost to Ann Richards. Mark White and his wife Linda Gale Thompson have two sons and a daughter.

Source: University of Texas [http://www.laits.utexas.edu/txp_media/html/exec/governors/29.html]

From the guide to the White, Mark, Papers 2009-119., 1970s-1990s, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Seals, Woodrow, 1917-1990. Judge Woodrow Seals Papers, 1941-1990 [Part 2] Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Libary
creatorOf Texas. Governor's Commission for Women. Texas Governor's Commission for Women records, 1982-1986. Texas Woman's University Library, Mary Evelyn Blagg-Huey Library
referencedIn Records, 1973-1990, (bulk 1987-1990) University of Texas at Austin. General Libraries
referencedIn Texas Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History. Texas Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History Collection, 1984-[ca.1986] University of Texas Libraries
referencedIn Texas Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History Collection 86-91; 86-249; 87-085, 87-077; 87-158., 1984-[ca.1986] Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
creatorOf White, Mark, Papers 2009-119., 1970s-1990s Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn Ray Farabee Papers, 1836-1987, 2009 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn Admiral commissions, 1973-1983 University of Texas at Austin. General Libraries
referencedIn Biography -- White, Mark. Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library
creatorOf White, Mark, 1940-. Mark White : commercials , 1982-1990. University of Oklahoma, Political Community Archives
referencedIn Legislative Council inaugural planning documents and other material, 1955-2003 Texas State Archives
referencedIn Governmental Relations Records, U 235. 1., 1967-1989 and undated Southwest Collection/Special Collections Libary, Texas Tech University
referencedIn Secretary of State official proclamations of the governor, 1984-1997 Texas State Archives
referencedIn Arriola, Roland S. (Roland Simon),. Oral history interview with Roland S. Arriola, 1999 [videorecording]. University of Texas at Arlington, Central Library
referencedIn Campos, Marc,. Oral history interview with Marc Campos, 1996 [videorecording]. University of Texas at Arlington, Central Library
referencedIn Seals, Woodrow, 1917-1990. Judge Woodrow Seals Papers, 1941-1990 [Part 1] Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Libary
referencedIn Records, 1982-1997, 1999, (bulk 1985-1995) University of Texas at Austin. General Libraries
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Arriola, Roland S. (Roland Simon), person
associatedWith Campos, Marc, person
associatedWith Farabee, Ray person
associatedWith Seals, Woodrow Bradley person
associatedWith Seals, Woodrow Bradley person
associatedWith Texas Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History corporateBody
associatedWith Texas. Criminal Justice Division. corporateBody
associatedWith Texas. Governor's Commission for Women. corporateBody
associatedWith Texas. Legislature. Legislative Council. corporateBody
associatedWith Texas. Legislature. Senate. Office of the Secretary. corporateBody
associatedWith Texas. Office of the Governor. corporateBody
associatedWith Texas. Secretary of State. Statutory Documents Section. corporateBody
associatedWith Texas Tech University. Office of Governmental Relations corporateBody
associatedWith University of Oklahoma. Political Commercial Archive. corporateBody
associatedWith Wade, Melvin person
associatedWith Zisman, Milton person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Advertising, political
Radio advertising
Television advertising
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Activity

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Birth 1940-03-17

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