Born March 6, 1881 in Oak Hill, Texas. Son of Robert Emmet White long time Sheriff of Travis County, Texas. Brother of James C (Doc) White, Texas Ranger and FBI Agent.
Texas Ranger from 1905-1909. Special Agent for Santa Fe Railway and Southern Pacific Railroad until 1917. BOI Agent (became the FBI in 1935) from 1918-1926. SAC in Houston and Oklahoma City.
Warden at Leavenworth, Kansas 1926-1931. Warden at La Tuna CF near Anthony, Texas 1932-1951. Member of three-man Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles 1951-1957.
In 1925 Tom was transferred from Houston to Oklahoma City by J Edgar Hoover to be agent in charge of the Osage Murders case, the FBI's first big case.
An interesting side note. Bill Hale was the ringleader in the Osage Murders. Soon after Hale was convicted, Tom White left the Bureau to become warden at Leavenworth. On November 17, 1926 a new prisoner arrived at the prison. Bill Hale was greeted by the new warden Tom White. "Why, hello, Tom," Hale said to White. "Hello, Bill," White answered. The men shook hands.
While warden at Leavenworth White was taken hostage by inmates during an escape. He was shot and left for dead. He recovered but never had much use of his left arm.
The Osage Murders case is the subject of a best-selling book, "Killers of the Flower Moon". It has now been made into a movie by the same title, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro with Jessie Plemons as Tom White.
A composite version of Tom White played by Jimmy Stewart named John Michael "Chip" Hardesty is the main character of the 1959 film "The FBI Story", which features a fictionalized version of the Osage Murders and White's investigation.
Texas Ranger from 1905-1909. Special Agent for Santa Fe Railway and Southern Pacific Railroad until 1917. BOI Agent (became the FBI in 1935) from 1918-1926. SAC in Houston and Oklahoma City.
Warden at Leavenworth, Kansas 1926-1931. Warden at La Tuna CF near Anthony, Texas 1932-1951. Member of three-man Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles 1951-1957.
In 1925 Tom was transferred from Houston to Oklahoma City by J Edgar Hoover to be agent in charge of the Osage Murders case, the FBI's first big case.
An interesting side note. Bill Hale was the ringleader in the Osage Murders. Soon after Hale was convicted, Tom White left the Bureau to become warden at Leavenworth. On November 17, 1926 a new prisoner arrived at the prison. Bill Hale was greeted by the new warden Tom White. "Why, hello, Tom," Hale said to White. "Hello, Bill," White answered. The men shook hands.
While warden at Leavenworth White was taken hostage by inmates during an escape. He was shot and left for dead. He recovered but never had much use of his left arm.
The Osage Murders case is the subject of a best-selling book, "Killers of the Flower Moon". It has now been made into a movie by the same title, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro with Jessie Plemons as Tom White.
A composite version of Tom White played by Jimmy Stewart named John Michael "Chip" Hardesty is the main character of the 1959 film "The FBI Story", which features a fictionalized version of the Osage Murders and White's investigation.
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