RALPH K. WHITE ’29

RALPH K. WHITE, 100, a psychologist, professor, and government official who studied the psychological causes of war, died Dec. 25, 2007. A member of Alpha Delta Phi, he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. After receiving his degree with high distinction in psychology, he received his PhD from Stanford University. An award-winning psychologist, he taught at several universities before becoming a federal official. He served in many capacities in government, wrote numerous books and papers, and had been president of various professional organizations, including Psychologists for Social Responsibility. Among the first people to analyze how underlying psychological causes and misunderstandings can lead nations to engage in warfare, he was perhaps best known for his theory distinguishing between empathy and sympathy for one’s adversaries. He was the brother of the late Lyman N. White ’28. His daughter, Dorothy White, from his first marriage to Eleanor Lack White, died, as did his second and third wives. Survivors include a son from his first marriage; nephews Kirby White ’59, Duffield White ’62, and Benjamin White ’66; and niece Bliss White McIntosh ’75.