White was nominated by President Jimmy Carter on March 28, 1980, to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, to a new seat created by . He was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 21, 1980, and received his commission on May 23, 1980. He served as Chief Judge from 1995 to 1999. He assumed senior status on February 26, 1999. White died on November 12, 2011, in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.
