Quenton I. White

Quenton Irwin White, Esq. was born on June 4, 1960 to the late King Hagan, Jr. and the late Louisa White Wilkins in the small community of Colfax, Louisiana. Raised primarily by his mother and beloved uncle, the late Harry Aaron, Quenton’s formative years were the foundation of not only a successful career that spanned multiple industries across local, state, and national jurisdictions, but also his ultimate achievements, as an industry trailblazer, exemplary leader and executive, and devoted patriarch of his family.

Quenton’s life was significantly marked by his steadfast commitment to the Lord. At an early age, Quenton professed his love for Christ at the First Baptist Church of Colfax, under the pastorate of the late Reverend C.H. Brew. Upon his relocation to Nashville, Tennessee in the nineties, he united with the Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Church, under the pastorate of the late Reverend Dr. Enoch Jones and the late Reverend Dr. William Franklin Buchannan. Most notably during his 25- year membership at Fifteenth Avenue, he led the ‘With Him, We Can’ capital campaign, along with the late Dr. Albert G. Berry, which raised over one million dollars for the construction of their present edifice. After the death of Reverend Buchannan, he united with the Olive Branch Church in Nashville, under the pastorate of the Reverend Dr. Vincent L. Windrow, where he faithfully attended until his death.

Always competitive in school, Quenton had a thirst for knowledge, and therefore, excelled academically. Educated in the Grant Parish School System, Quenton graduated from the former Dry Prong High School in Dry Prong, Louisiana in May 1978. Quenton’s academic prowess led him to matriculate at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism in May 1983.

While at Southern, Quenton emerged as a leader, which was evident in all facets of his collegiate career. As a journalist, Quenton not only served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Southern Digest, he also served as the first, African American student press aide for the Governorship of Louisiana, under Governor David Treen, an intern for the Press Secretary for the Louisiana Department of Labor, and a Law Clerk for the General Counsel for the Louisiana Department of Labor. He graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate, as part of the Army ROTC, as well as listed in the Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges & Universities and the National Dean’s List. His most treasured accomplishment at Southern was being initiated in the Beta Sigma Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. in November 1980, in which he was chosen as Brother of the Year for his local chapter, the Louisiana District, and the Southwestern Region. In whatever setting you placed him, Quenton exuded an unparalleled level of excellence and leadership, and used his platform to fight for and improve the plight of those around him.

Ever inspired by his late Uncle Harry’s love of politics, his journalistic successes, and previous experiences working in state government, Quenton furthered his education at the Southern University Law Center, also in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he graduated in May 1986 with a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree. As a law student, he was a member of the Moot Court Board and was listed in Who’s Who Among American Law Students. With his strong educational foun¬dation, Quenton was determined to become the consummate attorney and legal professional, as evidenced by his admittance to practice in the United States Supreme Court, United States District Court (Middle Tennessee), United States Court of Military Appeals, United States Tax Court, Ten¬nessee Supreme Court, and Louisiana Supreme Court.

While at Southern, Quenton met a young woman named Lori Denise Groves from Shelbyville, Tennessee in 1980. Quenton and Lori became college sweethearts and two were united in Holy Matrimony on September 19, 1987. From this union, two children were born – Daniel Quenton and Maya Arnae. Married for almost 20 years, the two remained close friends, until her passing in October 2015.

Quenton’s career was replete with leading large and small organizations both in and out of the legal profession. Upon graduating from the Southern University Law Center in 1986, he was commissioned to the U.S. Army, where he began his legal career as a prosecutor and federal magistrate while serving as a Captain in the U.S. Army JAG Corps. Following a nearly five-year career of active military service, he was an attorney with the Federal Services Impasse Panel (FSIP) in Washington D.C., handling collective bargaining impasses between federal labor and management representatives.

Upon Quenton’s arrival in Nashville in the Fall of 1992, he practiced as a criminal defense lawyer with the Metropolitan Nashville Public Defender’s Office, where he represented indigent criminal defendants charged with major felonies. In 1994, he took a reprieve from the legal field to serve as the Executive Director of the 100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee, Inc. While at the 100, Quinton fostered member engagement and instituted innovative programming to improve the plight of young, African American men in the North and East Nashville communities. Quenton, along with many others, was the brainchild of signature programs, including ‘100 Scholars’ and the ‘Collegiate 100’, which gained national recognition and propelled the Middle Tennessee chapter to be viewed as a model chapter across the country.

After a five-year stint at the 100 Black Men, Quenton returned to the practice of law to accept an appointment by President William Jefferson Clinton to serve as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. As the first, African American United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, he served as the chief legal officer in the 33 counties that comprise of Middle Tennessee. At the end of his tenure as United States Attorney, Quenton reentered the private sector to engage in the practice of law with the Law Office of Quenton I. White, PLLC, until asked by former Governor Phil Bredesen to serve as Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Correction. Forever a trailblazer, as the first, African American Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Correction, Quenton was a member of the Governor’s executive cabinet and was responsible for the management of the state’s adult correctional system, which comprised of over 5,000 employees and 20,000 inmates at 15 correctional institutions with a budget totaling over $550 million.

After a distinguished career in the public sector, Quenton returned to private practice with Booker and White, PLLC and The White Law Group. Quenton also developed and led several consultancies, in which he focused on business development, governance, compliance, and data and analytics for individuals, small and medium sized businesses, and other constituencies.

The final chapter in the Book of Life for Quenton I. White, Esq. has been written. He answered the summons from labor to reward on Friday, December 14, 2018. His life and dedication will always be remembered by those he served.

In addition to his parents, King Hagan, Jr. and Louisa White Wilkins; his uncle, Harry Aaron; his college sweetheart and former wife, Lori Groves-White, Quenton was preceded in death by his brothers, King Hagan III, Leroy Hagan, and Allen Brown; his sisters, Saretta Wilkins, Marian Wilkins, Margaret Hagan Keys, and Brenda Brown; his special cousin, Patricia Hickman; and his devoted friends, Cupid Brew, Jr., Gregory Holmes, and Michael Moss.

Many loving memories will be cherished by his son, Daniel Quenton White of New York, New York; his daughter, Maya Arnae White of Washington D.C.; his brothers, Bryant (Marsha) Mills of Stockton, California, Warren Hagan of New Orleans, Louisiana, and Fernando (Lisa) Jackson of Waco, Texas; his sisters, Frances Phillips of Detroit, Michigan, Judy Wilkins of Kansas City, Missouri, Sandra Wilson of Alexandria, Louisiana, Sylvia White of Colfax, Louisiana, Greta Wilkins of Colfax, Louisiana, Deadra White of Alexandria, Louisiana, Ellen (Isaac) Hagan Jackson of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and Nelda (Braxton) Jackson-Moses of Easton, Pennsylvania; his aunt, Eddie Mae Jones of Paramount, California; his devoted nephews, Desmond Wilkins of Kansas City, Missouri and Garcia Wilkins of Alexandria, Louisiana; his special friends and caregivers, Gwendolyn Clark, Dionne Placide, and Angel Sims; and a host of nephews, nieces, and friends, whose lives are richer because he lived.