A pioneering political journalist, T. H. White (1915-1986) gained prominence for his indepth coverage of American political campaigns. His book The Making of the President--1960 helped to alter the style and character of presidential campaigns as well as the way reporters cover them.

Born May 6, 1915, in Boston, Massachusetts, Theodore H. White (known as Teddy) was the son of David and Mary Winkeller White. His father, a Jewish immigrant from Russia, was a poor neighborhood lawyer until his death in 1931. After graduating from the Boston Latin School in 1932, White could not afford to attend college. He found a job selling newspapers on a streetcar--his start in journalism.

After working two years as a newsboy and Hebrew teacher, White enrolled at Harvard in 1934 with the help of a scholarship from Harvard and a grant from the Newsboy Foundation. He studied Chinese and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in...