Thomas J. White (businessman)

Thomas J. White was born on March 10, 1920, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Joseph F. White and Dorothy Aylward White. He attended Cambridge Latin School and graduated in 1942 with a bachelor's degree in Romance languages from Harvard College. He joined the U.S. Army a week later to become a paratrooper and an officer. == Career ==

After the war, White joined his family's construction firm, J.F. White Contracting Co., named after his father who founded the company. White became majority owner and chief executive of the company. During his tenure, J.F. White Contracting helped build the Charles River Dam, Foxboro Stadium, Park Plaza Hotel, and part of Boston's MBTA subway system. == Political contributions ==

and President John F. Kennedy in 1963. White was a major fundraiser for John F. Kennedy and a friend of the family. White was the chief organizer of fund-raising efforts in New England. == Philanthropy ==

After ensuring his family's financial stability, White resolved "to die as close to penniless as possible" by giving away his wealth to charity. == Personal life and death ==

In 1947, White married Margaret Flynn, with whom he had seven children. They later divorced. In 1971, he married Lois Driscoll, who herself had six children. White died on January 7, 2011, at the age of 90. == References ==