John H. (Jack) White, Jr., the dean of American railroad historians and retired curator of transportation at the Smithsonian Institution, died on Friday, July 24, at an assisted living facility in Oxford, Ohio. He was 92.

Author of 14 books and more than 170 articles, he worked at the Smithsonian for 32 years, retiring in 1990.

“We have lost a giant in the field of railroad history and preservation,” said Robert F. Holzweiss, president of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society. “Jack’s writings and vision for the Smithsonian are his gifts to us. I will miss his wise counsel and friendship.”