Mason Edward White II, O.D.

Optometric Physician, White Eye Care Center, Inc.

By Jennifer Jett-Prezkop

Dr. Ed White would likely have been an aerospace engineer, empowering mankind to explore the heavens, had it not been for NASA budget cuts in 1969 and 1970 that eliminated promising aerospace jobs. NASA’s loss, however, was the great gain of the optometry field and its patients, particularly those in Logan, WV.

Growing up in the small, blue-collar community of Justice Addition, White dreamed of being a football player. It wasn’t long before his passion for the pigskin was replaced with an unquenchable thirst for math and physics.

“As a senior at Logan High School, I was somewhat of a physics geek, and I was fascinated with geometric and quantum optics,” he says. “I was also fascinated with human anatomy and physiology, and I had tremendous respect for our family doctor, Dr. Mick Kessel, and our eye doctor, Dr. David Mullins. I wanted to be like them.”

It was these factors combined that led White to the field of optometry, where he has found success in helping others for the last 42 years. The impact White has had on the eye health of West Virginians is a direct result of his practice, which he opened in Logan after finishing optometry school. Today, White Eye Care Center provides full-spectrum eye care from routine exams to diagnosis and treatment of all kinds of eye and vision disorders. Together with his partner, Dr. Lonnie Lucas; his associate, Dr. Ethan Adkins; and their 14 employees, the team offers a wealth of knowledge.

White would not be where he is today without the support of his family and the mentorship of other health care professionals.

“My father was a first-generation college student, and my mother made it clear at an early age that my sisters, Kathy, Cindy and Karen, and I would go to college too,” he says. “Dr. Kessel and Dr. Mullins instilled in me a desire to help ailing people, and my wife, Ellen, inspires me every day to do what is right. Ellen is my foundation and the reason for anything I might accomplish. I have been fortunate to be surrounded by people who inspire me to work hard, serve others and never give up.”

White pays this debt forward by mentoring young people in the optometry field, including his now-partner Lucas. White, Lucas and Adkins are also clinical adjunct faculty at Kentucky College of Optometry and bring students to their practice for externships.

“It is very rewarding to play a role in the professional development of others,” he says. “I am happy to contribute what I can to a profession I love dearly.”

White’s impact on the optometry field has not gone unnoticed. In 2012, he was named president-elect of the West Virginia Association of Optometric Physicians (WVAOP), and in 2013, he was appointed to the West Virginia Board of Optometry where, in 2015, he was elected president. In 2019, he was named West Virginia Optometrist of the Year by the WVAOP.

Much like the optometry field, White is passionate about his community, where he spends a great deal of time contributing to its betterment. He is a member of the Logan County Chamber of Commerce board of directors, Logan County Board of Education, Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College board of governors and Logan Regional Medical Center’s board of trustees. A special interest in the well-being of West Virginia’s youth has led to his involvement with the Handle with Care program and Children’s Home Society of West Virginia’s WE CAN program. He is also one of the founding directors of the Logan and Mingo Child Advocacy Centers, the mission of which is to help disadvantaged and traumatized children.

One goal he continues to work toward is creating opportunity for Logan’s youth so they can stay home in Logan County and have a prosperous life.

“The reason I invest so much in our youth is simple: our children are our legacy,” he says. “I try to help by being involved with organizations that work with children. I talk with kids every day about realizing their potential and following their dreams and how hard work will serve them well. My success is largely due to my parents’ guidance, and many of our kids don’t have that kind of support at home. I know it’s a very tall task, but I hope to help shift our culture in that regard.”

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1973 Graduated from Marshall University

1977 Graduated from Southern College of Optometry

1977 Opened White Eye Care Center

1985 Married wife, Ruth

1985 Sons, Tony and Paul, were born

1987 Daughter, Joanna, was born

1991 Started coaching youth basketball

2004 Elected to Logan County Chamber of Commerce board of directors

2012 Named president-elect of the WVAOP

2015 Elected president of the West Virginia Board of Optometry

2016 Elected to the Logan County Board of Education

2019 Named West Virginia Optometrist of the Year by the WVAOP