Arthur White Collection | Valdosta State University Archives

Arthur William “Art” White was born in 1921 to British-immigrant parents in New Jersey.  His parents returned to England with their 3 children in the early 1930s.  During WWII, “Art” – as he was known to his friends and family – worked for the Bristol Evening Post starting at age 15.  By age 16, he had advanced into a staff position for the Post due to war effort staff shortages.  Art joined the United States Army in January of 1943.  He enlisted in England as a correspondent for Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper.  Upon his discharge in May of 1946, Art was categorized as a feature writer and had attained the ranking of Sargent.  After his discharge he was promoted to an editorial staff position with the Stars and Stripes as a civilian.  While continuing to work with Stars and Stripes, Art joined the London bureau of the Associated Press.  In 1947, Art married Louie Peeples, a native of Valdosta, GA and Birmingham, AL, and a graduate of South Georgia State Women’s College (Valdosta State University).  During the War, Louie was the American Red Cross program director for the Palmgardens Club in Frankfurt, Germany and worked at the London American Red Cross Rainbow Corner.

In 1949, Art was the London AP’s European Manifold Mail Editor, meaning he was responsible for dispensing news bulletins to AP distribution centers around the world.  On October 27, 1950, Art began working at TIME Magazine.  He worked at several bureaus including Ontario, Rio De Janerio, Paris, New York, Washington, D.C., and London.  Art worked at the Washington Bureau during the 1960s and befriended many notable individuals including Sargent Shriver (brother-in-law to President John F. Kennedy) and Lyndon B. Johnson, who personally offered Art a position in his administration as Deputy Press Secretary.  He politely refused President Johnson’s offer as it came the same day Arthur was informed his father (who was still living in Bristol, England) had a serious stroke.

During the 1970s Arthur covered politics and was involved in the 1976 Carter-Ford election.  He was specifically assigned duties in South Georgia because of his connection with Valdosta.  By the 1980s, Arthur requested assignment to the TIME’s London Bureau to be closer to his elderly mother and siblings.  While there he was responsible for covering the Falkland War and was interested in collecting information about British history.  After his mother passed, Art decided to retire from TIME in 1985.  He and Louie returned to Valdosta during the early 1990s.  Art passed away in 2001.