John Coyle White

John Coyle White (November 26, 1924 – January 21, 1995) was an American Democratic politician from Texas. Born in Newport, Clay County, to a sharecropper father, he graduated from Texas Technological College in 1946. At 25 years old, he became the youngest person ever elected to statewide office in Texas as Agriculture Commissioner, serving for over 26 years until his resignation in 1977. During his tenure, he modernized Texas agriculture and established marketing programs that influenced other states. He also forged partnerships with Mexican agricultural entities, boosting trade between both countries.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed White as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, where he negotiated grain agreements with foreign governments, including the Soviet Union, and mediated disputes among American farmers. He resigned in 1978 to lead the Democratic National Committee (DNC), helping maintain Democratic majorities in the House of Representatives during a period when Republicans gained control of the presidency and Senate.

White died on January 20, 1995, in Washington, D.C., and was buried at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.