White Oaks was designed by noted architect Philip Trammell Shutze in 1957 for Charles and Homozel Daniel. Charles Daniel was a contractor and co-owner of Daniel International Construction Corporation. He was a trustee of Clemson University and a generous donor to the College of Architecture at Clemson. He also briefly served as a United States Senator in 1954.

The 9,750-square-foot home is a copy of the rebuilt Governor’s Palace in Williamsburg, Virginia. In 1992, Homozel Daniel donated White Oaks to Furman University. It now serves as the President’s house.