William S. White
De Leon, The Heart of Texas
De Leon has given birth to some famous writers. William S. White is perhaps the most famous scribe hailing from De Leon. William Smith White was born in Toccapola, Mississippi in 1906. His family moved to De Leon that same year. He played bass drum for his high school, and left De Leon to attend school at the University of Texas, Austin. White’s writing career began at UT when he worked for the school paper.
After graduation, he became a distinguished journalist for the Associated Press, working for the worldwide press wire for more than twenty years. During his time at AP, he covered news from World War II and politics in Washington, D.C. He was an editor based in New York when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. White volunteered for military service, but spinal meningitis disqualified him for combat duty. Instead, he became a war correspondent covering Europe.
After the war, The New York Times hired White as their Washington correspondent. He was eventually promoted to chief Congressional correspondent, a position he held until 1958 when he went on to become a syndicated columnist. His column was quite popular, and was carried by 175 newspapers.
White’s most memorable achievement was the monumental biography of Senator Robert A. Taft, The Taft Story. A seminal political biography that covered the dramatic story of a thrice-failed Republican presidential candidate, The Taft Story reflected White’s many years of experience covering inside Washington politics. For his exhaustive research and lively prose, White took the 1955 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography. William White also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969.
White also authored several books, including The Citadel, which covered his experiences reporting on the US Senate, and his personal memoirs The Making of a Journalist. He also authored two other political biographies, Majesty and Mischief: A Mixed Tribute to FDR and The Professional: Lyndon B. Johnson..