John Ernest White was born in Washington, D.C. on February 16, 1875 to Swedish parents. His father, Johan (John) White, operated a livery stable in Washington, D.C.¹ Around 1917, John E. White began working as a chauffeur in the White House Garage.² His brother, Edward P. White, also worked as a chauffeur there and likely assisted him in obtaining the position.³ John E. White went on to work at the White House for presidents Woodrow Wilson through Franklin D. Roosevelt, driving presidents as well as esteemed guests. For example, White served as pilot Charles Linbergh’s driver during his 1927 visit to Washington, D.C.⁴ In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt exempted White from compulsory retirement age via Executive Order and he continued working in the garage until 1945.⁵ During the Roosevelt years, White was transferred to the Postal Department but remained detailed to the White House Garage on the night shift; during this transition, White experienced salary discrepancies that he later brought before Congress for overtime owed to him.⁶ Several of his fellow chauffeurs made statements of support on his behalf, and it was approved posthumously.⁷ John E. White died on December 23, 1949, and he was buried at Glenwood Cemetery in Washington, D.C. A historical marker erected near his longtime home honors his career.⁸

Undated Family Tree, John Ernest White Family Memorabilia, Folder 3, The Historical Society of Washington, D.C.
White was first listed as a chauffeur in the 1917 D.C. city directory, and in 1918, his World War I draft registration listed the White House as his place of work. Boyd’s Directory of the District of Columbia Vol. LIX (R. L. Polk and Co., 1917), 1277; John Ernest White in the U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, Registration State: District of Columbia; Registration County: Washington, Ancestry.com.
“Edward P. White, First Chauffeur and Auto Mechanic for Presidents,” Washington Post, March 1, 1969, pg. B3.
John Ernest White Family Memorabilia, Folder 2, The Historical Society of Washington, D.C.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Executive Order 8348—Exemption of John E. White From Compulsory Retirement for Age Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/371558; U.S. Congress, House Report, 81st Congress Second Session, Report No. 1425 (University of Michigan, 1950), pg. 1-7.
“F. D.’s Driver Voted Overtime Pay by House,” The Washington Daily News, February 7, 1950, pg. 4; (7) U.S. Congress, House Report, 81st Congress Second Session, Report No. 1425 (University of Michigan, 1950), pg. 1-7. (8) “John Ernest White,” Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/144524564/john-ernest-white; “Upheaval and Activism: Mount Pleasant Heritage Trail,” Historical Marker Database, https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=148598.

Birthplace

Washington, D.C., USA

Glenwood Cemetery

Related Worker: Edward P. White
Transportation, 1913 – circa 1929