Catching Up With Jim Whiting ('65)

In a special Q & A edition of “Catching Up”, Whitman College Sports Communication Director John Barry connected with former Blues (sorry, Missionaries) cross country runner Jim Whiting (‘65). The Washington state native discussed his experience as a four-year Whitman student-athlete and the notable individuals who shaped his experience along the way. He also shared what led him to his eventual career as a magazine publisher and children’s book author and the return to his cross country roots as the founder and coach of a middle school team in Bainbridge Island, Wash.

JB: What interested you about Whitman and why did you decide to enroll?

JW: Attending Whitman was kind of an accident. Growing up and even well into my high school years, I was convinced I was going to go to Annapolis and become a Naval officer. Both my mother and college counselor knew that would be a disaster but were smart enough not to tell me directly (smiling). Then early in my senior year, representatives from different colleges came by and my college counselor signed me up for the Whitman presentation. I wasn’t terribly impressed but took the student handbook anyway. Some months later, after deciding not to head to Annapolis, I opened the book and started reading. I got increasingly excited about the school.  When I got to the part about Whitman's Christmas party, which I guess was a big deal, I ran up the stairs and told my mom I wanted to go to Whitman. The ironic thing was that the only time I went to the party was my senior year (laughing). The school certainly did have a great academic reputation, and it was far enough away to have a good college experience but close enough to go home every vacation.

JB: You had competed in track and cross country high school but didn’t intend to run collegiately at Whitman. What changed?

JW: A couple days after I arrived on campus, a fellow freshman ran out of the old gym and said “Coach (Bill) Martin wants to see you.” I didn’t know what he wanted but I went in anyway and sat down with Bill. He said he had seen my transcript and asked if I wanted to run for his team. I was being recruited! Me, the 4:53 miler. So of course I said yes. I joined the team and competed all four years. With Bill’s guidance and encouragement, I ran times I had never thought I could. I even won my first race, when I was a junior! I left Whitman feeling pretty good about myself in large part due to my cross country experience.

JB: George Ball and Bob Burgess are very prominent figures in Whitman Athletics history. You knew them both during your time at Whitman. Talk about those relationships. 

JW: George (Ball) was my pre-major counselor. Certain parts of my time at Whitman were tough and his door was always open to talk. Late in my sophomore year I  was especially disenchanted. I thought I was going to move back home and transfer, but Dr. Ball helped me think differently and that is what kept me at Whitman. Bob (Burgess) taught me to play tennis. I became halfway decent and played recreationally for many years.  It started with him while at Whitman.

JB: Following college you earned a masters in English and some years later began your 17-year tenure as publisher of Northwest Runner. Talk about that experience.

JW: It actually originated in the late 1960s. I was teaching high school English. My district opened a new school. I applied to coach track and cross country even though I had no experience. Another guy did have experience and was also a better runner than I was. Fortunately, the English department head offered me the chance to advise the high school newspaper. Once again, I had no experience. I literally would learn something at night and then teach it to my kids the next day. At the end of our first semester, we were named All-American, an honor given to the top 5% of papers nationwide.  

In the fall of 1981, I was living in Seattle. I made a conscious decision to make a living as a freelance writer. After one month I had made only $60 and that was only because my next-door neighbor needed help with her resume. Then I received a copy of what was then called the nor’wester (later Northwest Runner) in the mail. It mentioned that the editor was leaving. I thought I had enough experience so I offered my services to replace him. I immediately found out I would be responsible for all aspects of the publication. So I taught myself a crash course in magazine journalism. It went from being a 24-page publication to sometimes 80 pages. It was pretty remarkable.  Eventually panels of independent professional journalists called it the best regional running magazine in the country.

JB: How did you transition to writing children’s books?

JW: After leaving NWR, I felt I had enough experience to punch my own ticket. Turns out no one else agreed. In desperation I took a job I hated. Fortunately I was fired. If I hadn’t been, I wouldn’t have seen an ad in a writers magazine for a freelance editor for a small kids nonfiction publisher. They sent me a book about Tiger Woods to edit, and really liked what I did Eventually, because I was doing so much editing on each book they sent me, I proposed that I write my own. My first book was a biography of Charles Schulz, the famous cartoonist and creator of the comic Peanuts. That was in 2001. Since then, I’ve published over 300 books for various publishers.

JB: You also started a running club, correct?

JW: In 1994 we moved to Bainbridge Island. I started a series of summer all-comers track meets and ran them (pun intended) for 20 years. In 2008, several parents whose children had participated asked me to start a middle school cross country club which I ended up naming Blazers XC. It started with 25 runners the first year, three of whom ended up running at Whitman. It grew to 80 members which at the time was the most in western Washington. My last team was in 2017 before my wife and I moved to Corvallis, Oregon to be closer to our grandkids. Working with middle schoolers at a crucial point in their lives was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I have a stack of testimonials from them which I will always treasure. 

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