Gen. William L. White.--Distinguished as a civilian and soldier, and standing in the front rank of Michigan’s representative men is Gen. William L. White, who for a number of years has stamped his vigorous personality on the city of Grand Rapids and Kent county and made himself a state wide reputation. The general is a New Yorker, born on the 31^st of March, 1861, in the county of Erie, and because of the stirring events of the month and year, was named William Lincoln, the middle name being given him in honor of the president just taking his seat. He is descended from notable ancestry and traces the family history back to a period antedating the war of independence, in which struggle a number of his antecedents bore gallant and distinguished parts. Others figured in the service of the country in different capacities, the most illustrious of whom Stephen Hopkins, from whom the general is directly descended, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and his brother was the first admiral of the American navy.

The Whites moved to Michigan when the subject was quite young and settled in Grand Rapids, where he attended the public schools and latter became one of the most successful and thorough pharmacists in the state. For a number of years he was employed in the old pioneer drug store of E.R. Wilson, and on the first day of April, 1888, entered into partnership with William E. White, since which time their Morton House pharmacy, the most prominent of the kind in the city, has been doing a thriving and successful business.

In a public way, Gen. White has been little before the people. About eighteen years ago he enlisted in company B., Second regiment, of the Michigan state troops, as they were then called, and after serving through various grades was appointed regimental quartermaster, which position he held for eight years to the satisfaction of every man in the best regimental quartermasters the state ever had, and it was the experience gained in this position which enabled him to make such a signal success in the higher position to which he was appointed by Gov. Pingree. His success in the latter position, too, is another and unanswerable argument in favor of the promotion of men from the ranks instead of recognition of men for the higher offices who have never seen service.

Twice before, Quartermaster White was a candidate for the higher position--a candidate in the sense that his friends worked hard to land the place for him--but although he was the senior regimental quartermaster of the brigade he was turned down in favor of political preferment. There was much feeling in the state troops in those days over the manner in which certain governors had ignored the men in the ranks and appointed to the high positions and on the staff men with little or no experience whatever, and this feeling led to the organization of the Officers association. This organization did little, however, beyond the giving of expression to the sentiment in favor of recognition of men who had earned promotion, and no formal action was ever taken. Gov. Pinree, himself an old soldier, saw at once where the trouble was, the injustice of the system, and his promise to remedy it made him hundreds of friends among the soldiery. When he was elected he kept his word, and not only appointed Gen White, but named a staff, every men of which had been a member of the brigade, or had seen service of some sort. The result of this was first witnessed at Island Lake in the summer of 1897, when there was the greatest harmony and sympathy between the line, field and staff officers. The part played by Gen. White was a prominent one. He was even a greater success as quartermaster-general than as regimental, and the more duties he had the better they were done. And in the emergency encampment of 1898 he made a record which has been the pride of the state, in that he got the troops thoroughly equipped and away in such a short time that it attracted attention and unstinted praise from all sides. Gen. White was reappointed quartermaster-general of Michigan, January 1, 1899; in addition to this, on July 25, 1898, the general was made lieutenant colonel of the Thirty-fifth Michigan volunteer infantry, with which he bore a gallant part in the Spanish-American war until his discharge at Detroit on April 1, 1899.

In the spring of 1899, Gen. White disposed of his drug business, and July, following, engaged in manufacturing, being at this time president of the White & White Co, manufacturing chemists, and also holding the positions of secretary and treasurer of the Simmons Knitting company, an establishment for the manufacture of all kinds of underwear.

At home Gen. White was very prominently mentioned for the republican nomination for mayor of Grand Rapids in the spring of 1898, and he could have had the nomination by acclamation had he not refused to allow his name to go before the convention. All factions in the party were united upon him, but as he pulled out and another was named, the solid party vote could not be controlled, and under the circumstances existing a democrat was elected. Politically Gen. White has been a zealous supporter of the republican party ever since attaining his majority, and he figures prominently in all campaigns, contributing much to the success of that ticket. With the exception of the single instance referred to, he has never been mentioned as an aspirant for political honors, and he is also free from the practices of the partisan and has little use for the professional politician.

Fraternally, Gen. White belongs to Valley City lodge No. 7, R.A.M.; DeMolai commandery; DeWitt Clinton consistory, Scottish rite, Thirty-second degree, Saladin temple, Mystic shrine. He is also identified with the Pythian fraternity and is an active member of the B.P.O.E.

As a business man, Gen. White’s career has been marked by the exhibition of those qualities which make success almost a certainty, possessing the rare executive ability indispensable in the management of large and responsible concerns. Like all men of energy, he is imbued with the spirit of self-reliance; every interest entrusted to his care is managed with judgment and tact, and in all relations of life his deportment has been that of the broad-minded and courteous gentleman.

The general is in the prime of vigorous manhood and has a dignified and pleasing presence, impressing all with whom he is brought into contact as a man of strong personality and well calculated for leadership where great interest are involved. His manner is affable and pleasant, and it is needless to add, in view of all that has been said, that he has many friends and commands the respect of the best classes, wherever he goes.