Charles Abiathar White was born on January 26, 1826, in North Dighton, Massachusetts.

He was a physician, geologist, and paleontologist. He first studied natural history and geology in Massachusetts. He received his M.D. degree from Rush Medical College of Chicago (University of Chicago). In 1862, he took a break from medical work to work as an assistant to the State Geologist of New York. In 1864, White established a medical practice in Iowa City but returned to the field of geology when he was appointed the State Geologist of Iowa in 1866. He became Professor of Natural History at the State University of Iowa (1867-1873) and Bowdoin College, Maine (1873-1875). In 1874, he was appointed geologist and paleontologist of the U. S. Geological Survey, a position he held until 1892. He became a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1868 and served as its General Secretary in 1872 and Vice President in 1888. In 1883, he was elected President of the Biological Society of Washington. He was one of the original members of the Geological Society of America. White was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1889. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by Iowa State University in 1893. In 1895, he served as an associate in paleontology at the United States National Museum. Abiathar Peak in Yellowstone National Park was named in his honour in 1885.

In 1848, he married Charlotte R. Pilkington (1829–1902). He died on June 29, 1910, in Washington, D. C.