Frank was born on 4 June 1933 in Texarkana, TX. He
graduated from high school at New Mexico Military Institute, Roswell NM in
1951, attended Texas A&M 1951-1952, and entered the Naval Academy in June
1952 as a member of Twelfth Company.
After graduation, Frank was commissioned in the Air
Force, attended pilot training, and flew C-130s. He flew members of the 101st
Airborne to Little Rock to enforce the 1957 integration and flew troops to the
Congo in 1960.
Frank resigned his commission in 1961 and enjoyed a
successful banking career in Little Rock, Arkansas in the private sector and in
government. In 1980 he defeated Bill Clinton for governor of Arkansas and is
credited with developing the partnership between the University of Arkansas and
Arkansas Children’s Hospital during his term. After an unsuccessful reelection
bid for governor in 1986, he worked for 1st Commercial Bank, Littlerock, until
1988 when Governor Huckabee appointed him State Bank Commissioner, a post he
held until his death.
Frank was a community and civic leader and a popular
emcee for successful fund raising events benefiting charities. When he joined
Governor Huckabee and six other Arkansas governors for a fundraiser to restore
the governor’s mansion. Governor Huckabee stated, "Frank didn’t steal the
show, he was the show.”
Frank died of a heart attack in Little Rock, Arkansas,
Wednesday, 21 May 2003. He is survived by his wife, Gay; daughters, Elizabeth
and Rebecca; son and daughter-in-law, Kyle and Kelly White, both USNA 1990; and
four grandchildren, Tristan, Tyler, Julia and Daniella.