Introduction

Biography

Whitaker’s fa­mi­ly emi­grat­ed to Am­eri­ca in 1869.

After work­ing at a watch fac­to­ry in Walt­ham, Mas­sa­chu­setts, he at­tend­ed the Law­rence Aca­de­my in Gro­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts, and An­do­ver-New­ton Theo­lo­gic­al School, New­ton Centre, Mas­sa­chu­setts.

He be­came a Bap­tist min­is­ter, and served as a mis­sion­ary in Ag­uas Ca­li­en­tes, Mex­ico (1887–88).

He then pas­tored at church­es in Se­at­tle, Wash­ing­ton; Sa­lem, Ore­gon; and Oak­land and Los Ga­tos, Ca­li­for­nia.

He was po­li­ti­cal­ly ac­tive, es­pous­ing a num­ber of li­ber­al caus­es, and for worked for the Am­eri­can Ci­vil Li­ber­ties Un­ion (1924–26). He con­trib­ut­ed ar­ti­cles and po­et­ry to re­li­gious and la­bor jour­nals.

At one time he was ar­rest­ed un­der the Ca­li­for­nia Cri­mi­nal Syn­di­cal­ism Act for par­ti­ci­pat­ing in a pa­ci­fist as­sem­bly. He al­so worked to free la­bor ac­ti­vist Tom Moon­ey from pri­son.

Among his friends and col­leagues were Up­ton Sin­clair, Jack Lon­don, Fan­ny Bix­by Spen­cer, John Holmes, and An­na Lou­ise Strong.