“Doc” White, as he is affectionately called by most who know him, was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, in 1948, and was received into the Catholic Church in 1979.
He received his B.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1970, and his M.A. from the University of Wisconsin a year later. In 1981 he earned his Ph.D. in English Literature from Indiana University, where he also taught before moving on to the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. He then taught at Temple University, and later served – for 29 years – in the English Department at the United States Naval Academy, where he remains Professor Emeritus of English.