9 2 0 s . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 7 , ▁White ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁Re ception ▁Committee ▁of ▁the ▁Kn ights ▁of ▁M om us ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans . ▁The ▁Kn ights ' ▁M ardi ▁Gr as ▁para de ▁was ▁an ▁attack ▁on ▁Re const ruction ▁so ▁extreme ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁widely ▁condem ned , ▁and ▁even ▁den ounced ▁by ▁the ▁Kre we ▁of ▁R ex . ▁ ▁Political ▁career ▁ ▁While ▁living ▁on ▁his ▁family ' s ▁abandoned ▁plant ation , ▁White ▁began ▁his ▁legal ▁studies . ▁He ▁en rolled ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Louisiana ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans ▁to ▁complete ▁his ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁law , ▁at ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Tul ane ▁University ▁Law ▁School . ▁He ▁subsequently ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁bar ▁and ▁comm enced ▁practice ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 . ▁ ▁White ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Louisiana ▁State ▁Senate ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 4 , ▁a ▁year ▁marked ▁by ▁inter ra cial ▁violence ▁in ▁political ▁campaign s ▁and ▁elections . ▁He ▁also ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁Louisiana ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁from ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁to ▁ 1 8 8 0 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁the ▁State ▁Legisl ature ▁elected ▁him ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Senate ▁to ▁succeed ▁James ▁B . ▁E ust is . ▁During ▁his ▁time ▁in ▁state ▁politics ▁White ▁was ▁polit ically ▁affili ated ▁with ▁two - time ▁governor ▁Francis ▁T . ▁Nich oll s ▁( 1 8 7 6 – 1 8