Mount Tom White
Mount Tom White is a prominent 11,191-foot glaciated mountain summit located in the Chugach Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The remote peak is situated on land managed by Chugach National Forest, northeast of Cordova, and north of the Bering Glacier, North America's largest glacier. The mountain lies within the Copper River drainage basin, and is the eighth-highest major peak in the Chugach Mountains. Topographic relief is significant as it ranks 17th in prominence for all peaks in Alaska, and 52nd for all North America peaks. The first ascent of the mountain was made in 1973 by Story Clark, Chris Hall, Tom Kizzia, William Resor, Sarah Robey, and Don White.
Tom White
The peak was named for Thomas George White, an early pioneer of the southeastern Alaska Territory who first went to Alaska as a camp hand with the first Geological Survey-National Geographic St. Elias Expedition, and returned with the second St. Elias expedition in 1891. Following the end of the second expedition, Tom stayed in Alaska "to try his fortune in gold mining". Known as the "Sourdough Driller," he is credited with discovering the Katalla oil seep in 1894, and drilling the first oil well in Alaska in 1902.The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1950 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.