Joe E. White

In 2014, White's wife, Melba, died at the age of 76. On May 31, 2018, he died at the age of 80. Memorials took place in Edmond and Poteau, Oklahoma.

White was inducted into the Murray State College Distinguished Athlete Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2004, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Heritage Society’ Higher Education Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the CASC Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2019, White was posthumously inducted into the Oklahoma Association of Community Colleges (OACC) Hall of Fame.

White was appointed president of Carl Albert State College (CASC) in 1975.

During President White’s tenure at CASC, from 1975-2007, student enrollment increased from 600 students in 1975 to over 3,700 students. During that period, CASC grew from a single campus with two buildings to 3 campuses located in Poteau, Sallisaw and Idabel. CASC also constructed six residence halls and tripled the size of its Sallisaw campus during White's tenure. White also oversaw the creation of the CASC Development Foundation, which was established in 1979.

White started at Elk City High School as a teacher, football coach, athletic director followed by assistant principal. He became Elk City High School’s head principal in 1968. He left Elk City to become superintendent of schools in Sentinel, Oklahoma in 1970. White later served as Elk City Public Schools superintendent. While superintendent of the Elk City schools, White was one of 50 superintendents to participate in an international study mission to the then-Soviet Union.

In 1965, White completed his master's degree in education at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma. He returned to Oklahoma State University in 1974 completing his Doctorate in education.

In 1959, White began his career as the head football coach and English teacher at Alex High School, his alma mater. In 1962, White served as an assistant football coach and teacher at Roswell High School in Roswell, New Mexico. He later served as the coach of Minco High School in Minco, Oklahoma prior to being hired at Elk City High School in 1964.

In 1957, White married Melba Sue Curfman. They had two sons, Vance White of Los Angeles, California and Oklahoma City attorney Joe E. White Jr. In 2007, he retired from Carl Albert State College, and moved to Edmond, Oklahoma. That same year, he created White Energy, LLC. White Energy LLC has mineral interests in fourteen Oklahoma counties.

Joe Ellis White (July 3, 1937 – May 31, 2018) was an American educator and oil and gas investor. White served as President of Carl Albert State College from 1975-2007. His tenure at Carl Albert State College marked one of the longest sitting college president terms in the state of Oklahoma.

Joe E. White was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on July 3, 1937 to C.W. and Cleo White. White graduated from Alex High School in Alex, Oklahoma in 1955. From 1956-1958, White attended Murray State College where he played fullback on the Murray State College, football team. Following his graduation from Murray State College, White transferred to Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1959.