James Stephen White

James Stephen White (December 6, 1838 – August 8, 1908) was an American businessman, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He represented Milwaukee in the Wisconsin State Assembly during the 1871 session, and was later imprisoned for embezzlement arising from his eight years working as city comptroller.

Biography James S. White was born at Detroit, Michigan, in December 1838. As a child, he moved with his parents to Milwaukee, Wisconsin Territory, in 1843. He received a common school education in Milwaukee and attended a partial collegiate course at Sinsinawa Mound College. He then returned to Milwaukee and received a mercantile education at Larigo's Mercantile Academy.

At the outbreak of the American Civil War, he volunteered for service and was enrolled in Company B of the 1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. He was elected 2nd lieutenant of the company and served a year with the regiment before resigning due to poor health in August 1862.

On his return from the war, he was appointed deputy treasurer of the city of Milwaukee, serving from 1863 to 1868, and was then appointed a member of the city board of health. He did not run for re-election in 1871.

In 1872, he was elected city comptroller and was subsequently re-elected in 1873, 1874, 1876, and 1878. In 1879, he purchased the Milwaukee Daily News and operated the paper for a year before selling it to a group of Republican businessmen. With the Supreme Court ruling against him, White's case proceeded in the circuit court and he was sentenced to 30 months in state prison by Judge A. Scott Sloan. He ultimately served 24 months before being pardoned by Governor Jeremiah McLain Rusk.

Despite his financial crime, he was hired as bookkeeper for the Milwaukee County sheriff in 1890, and retained by the sheriff's successors in 1892 and 1894.

Sometime after 1895, White moved to California, where he died in August 1908.

Electoral history Wisconsin Assembly (1870)