Henry Cooke White was born in Hartford, Connecticut to Judge John H. White and his wife Jennie M. Cooke White. After a few years as a judge�s clerk, he starting studying art from Dwigth W. Tyron, at the age of 14. Their life long friendship was the basis of Henry C. White�s biography entitled The Life and Art of Dwight William Tryon, which was published in 1930.

During 1884-1888, Henry C White studied with Kenyon Cox and George DeForest Brush at the Arts Student�s League in New York City. In 1889, he started teaching drawing at the Hartford Public High School. In that same year he built his first studio, and married Grace Holbrook. They spent their summers at the Connecticut coast, in Waterford. During 1896 and 1897, he traveled through Europe, and upon his return he resigned from his teaching position. From 1903 through 1907, he and his family spent the spring and fall staying at the home of Florence Griswold (which is now a museum). He met and painted with Henry Ward Ranger, Will Howe Foote, and Charles Davis to name a few of the important painters that frequented the Griswold boarding house during this time.

Early in his career, White was represented in group shows, but later he limited himself to one-man shows. He is came to be know for his paintings, pastels, anmd etchings of the Connecticut landscape. He was a fouder of the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts, and stayed active with the group from 1910 until late in his life. He continued to paint until his early 80s and died during his ninety-first year in Waterford in 1952.