Henry White (diplomat) - Semi-retirement

Semi-retirement

White remained active in U.S. diplomacy after leaving Paris. He accompanied Roosevelt on the now-former President's tour of Europe in 1910, serving as Roosevelt's de facto chief of staff during visits to Paris and Berlin and during Roosevelt's service as the U.S. special representative to the funeral of King Edward VII. During the trip, Roosevelt and White met with every major chief of state in Europe except Tsar Nicholas II.

In 1910, White also accepted an assignment from Taft to head the U.S. delegation to the Pan-American Conference in Buenos Aires. As a result of his discussions with Latin American diplomats, White wrote a strong recommendation to Secretary of State Philander C. Knox that these diplomats be treated with more respect and tact. White became an active member of the Pan-American Society after returning from Buenos Aires.

In between diplomatic missions, White supervised the construction of a new mansion in Washington, D.C., designed by John Russell Pope. Later known as the White-Meyer House, it is today part of the Meridian International Center. The house, located off 16th Street, was near many of the city's foreign embassies, and White actively socialized with ambassadors from around the world.