Representative Wilbur McKee White - Contact Information

Wilbur McKee White (February 22, 1890 – December 31, 1973) was an American politician, World War I veteran, and member of the Republican Party who served one term as a U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1931 to 1933. His congressional service took place during a significant period in American history, at the outset of the Great Depression, when the federal government was grappling with unprecedented economic and social challenges.

Born on February 22, 1890, White came of age in an era of rapid industrialization and political change in the United States. Details of his early life and family background are not extensively documented in the public record, but his subsequent military and political careers indicate an early engagement with public service and national affairs. Growing up in Ohio, he would have been exposed to the state’s dynamic political culture and its prominent role in national politics.

White’s formative years coincided with the buildup to World War I, and he served his country as a member of the United States armed forces during that conflict. As a World War I veteran, he was part of the generation of Americans whose experiences in Europe shaped their views on international engagement, national security, and the responsibilities of citizenship. His military service helped establish his public standing and provided a foundation for his later entry into political life.

Following his wartime service, White pursued a career that led him into public affairs and ultimately into elective office. While the specific details of his professional activities prior to Congress are not fully preserved in the available record, his subsequent election indicates that he became a recognized figure within Ohio’s Republican Party and among the voters of his district. His background as a veteran and his alignment with Republican principles of the period positioned him as a credible advocate for his constituents.

White was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives and served one term in the Seventy-second Congress, from 1931 to 1933, representing a district in Ohio. His tenure in Congress coincided with the early years of the Great Depression, a time when unemployment, bank failures, and economic dislocation dominated the national agenda. As a member of the House of Representatives, Wilbur McKee White participated in the democratic process, contributed to the legislative deliberations of the period, and represented the interests of his Ohio constituents in debates over economic relief, federal spending, and the appropriate role of government in addressing the crisis.

During his single term in office, White served as part of the Republican minority that faced growing public dissatisfaction with existing economic policies. Although detailed records of his individual votes and committee assignments are limited in the surviving summaries, his participation in the Seventy-second Congress placed him at the center of critical national discussions that preceded the political realignment of 1932 and the advent of the New Deal. His service reflected both his party’s perspectives and the concerns of the citizens who had elected him.

After leaving Congress in 1933, White did not return to the House of Representatives, and he resumed private life. The historical record does not extensively document his later professional activities, but his status as a former member of Congress and a World War I veteran suggests that he remained a respected figure in his community and within Ohio political circles. He lived through the major events of the mid-twentieth century, including World War II and the early Cold War, as an observer with firsthand experience of earlier national crises.

Wilbur McKee White died on December 31, 1973, closing a life that spanned from the closing years of the nineteenth century through a period of profound transformation in American society and government. Remembered as a World War I veteran and as a Republican Representative from Ohio who served from 1931 to 1933, his career illustrates the contributions of citizen-legislators who served briefly in Congress during some of the nation’s most challenging years.