Boyte was born in North Carolina in 1911. He graduated from Elon College in North Carolina, and pursued graduate studies in political science at American University and the London School of Economics. In 1942 Boyte joined the American Red Cross and traveled extensively, while simultaneously being involved in numerous aspects of the civil rights movement. In Monroe, N.C., Boyte and his family hosted Freedom Riders and lent support to local NAACP leaders.
In 1963, Boyte began working for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as a field secretary with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, where he was the first white man on the staff. Boyte was later involved in desegregation efforts in Atlanta. He served as chairman of HOPE, Inc. (Help Our Public Schools) and as Executive Director of the Greater Atlanta Council on Human Relations. He was also instrumental in organizing an Atlanta chapter of the Unitarian Service Committee.
Boyte died in 1977.