Education
He graduated from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is a member of the French Legion of Honor.
He graduated from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is a member of the French Legion of Honor.
He headed several national organizations, includng the United States Weather Bureau, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Academy of Engineering. White was born in Boston and was an alumnus of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, holding degrees in geology and meteorology. He was the director of the United States Weather Bureau from 1963 to 1965, director of the Environmental Science Services Administration from 1965 to 1970, the first administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from 1970 to 1977, president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research from 1980 to 1983, and president of the National Academy of Engineering from 1983 to 1995.
He also was the first chairman of the World Climate Conference in 1978.
In 2014, he was honored by Congressman Frank R. Wolf for "groundbreaking contributions to the federal coordination of meteorology in the United States". He lived in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
On October 14, 2015, he died of complications of dementia.