author
b. 1871
A teacher and math writer from the early 1900s, he is best remembered for turning number puzzles, curiosities, and classroom ideas into lively reading. His surviving work has an approachable, playful feel that still makes elementary mathematics seem full of surprises.
William Frank White was an American author of mathematical writing active in the early twentieth century. The clearest detail confirmed from readily available sources is his 1908 book A Scrap-Book of Elementary Mathematics: Notes, Recreations, Essays, published by Open Court.
The book identifies him as William F. White, Ph.D. and places him at the State Normal School in New Paltz, New York, suggesting that he worked in teacher education as well as writing for readers interested in mathematics. His book blends notes, recreations, and short essays, which gives a good sense of his style: curious, practical, and eager to make mathematics enjoyable.
Reliable biographical details about his life beyond that are limited in the sources I could confirm here, so it is best to remember him through the work that survives. For readers drawn to older popular math writing, his work offers a snapshot of a time when puzzles, patterns, and clever numerical tricks were a lively part of learning.