Whit's Life

[Leonard Meltsner]

So, as many of you know, I have a nearly photographic memory, most of which is occupied with remembering 84% of the lines ever spoken on Odyssey. Using my extensive memory, I wrote the history of Whit's End for AIOWiki, synthesized from many different episodes. The history I wrote is also reflected in the McAlister Park article, which I wrote last night.

Now a much more daunting task lies before me: the life and times of John Avery Whittaker. I have a basic understanding of his life, but there are so many elements, it's very hard to try and synthesize it all. That's where I would like your help. I would like you all to contribute things I may have missed, and together here in this thread, we may finally attempt to resolve Whit's life story.

Here are the main elements of his life (not necessarily in order):
-Birth in Scotland (Oct 1, 1922)
-Mother's death
-Harold Whittaker's remarriage to Fiona Donnerall
-Move to Raleigh, North Carolina
-Whit becomes a Christian
-Sister born (presumably after becoming Christian) (mentioned in My Brother's Keeper)
-Blackbeard's Treasure incident & Red Wagon falling-out
-Philosophy and Literature at USC
-The War
-Meeting Jenny
-National Geographic Writing
-David Livingstone movie
-Marriage
-Universal Press Foundation
-Part-time teaching
-Full-time teaching
-Kids
-Agent for DoD
-Research for DoD/development of Applesauce
-Archaeology work
-Jerry's death
-Very ambiguous time of move to Odyssey
-Jenny's death
-Visiting Clara
-Opening Whit's End
-Middle East Trip

[King Butter Turtle]

The biggest things you're missing (off the top of my head) is that he attended Duke University (he finished at USC after the war) and that he got his librarian certification and worked at the Pascedena Public Library.

A while back, I did some research and came up with a page of notes as well as a timeline.

Good work on both the McCalister Park and Whit's End aiowiki pages, by the way.

[Leonard Meltsner]

Thanks. I just remembered that Whit was also engaged before he met Jenny, but broke it off because she wasn't a Christian. That may or may not've been Eloise Frederickson, from "Prequels of Love".

[Woody]

What?!?!? What episode was that mentioned in?

[Leonard Meltsner]

First Love.

[Dallas R.]

Did Whit have a broken engagement with a non Christian too? I didn't know about that.

Is it possible you're thinking of Jack and Emily, mentioned in "A Question About Tasha"?

[Woody]

First Love? I've never heard that episode. What album is it on?

[Jesus' Princess]

I'm pretty sure that it's on Album 8: Beyond Expectations

[Laurie]

I'm pretty sure that it's on Album 8: Beyond Expectations

You're right it is.

[King Butter Turtle]

Did Whit have a broken engagement with a non Christian too? I didn't know about that.

Is it possible you're thinking of Jack and Emily, mentioned in "A Question About Tasha"?

No, Jack actually married Emily - he didn't break off the engagement.

[Leonard Meltsner]

I just listened to A Question About Tasha today. So sad. Whit definitely says that he broke off his engagement with someone. I'd love to add my headcanon Julie Whittaker-marries-Blackgaard-rebel-from-the-DoD-have-Buck Oliver-storyline, but that would be wrong :'(

[Dallas R.]

Did Whit have a broken engagement with a non Christian too? I didn't know about that.

Is it possible you're thinking of Jack and Emily, mentioned in "A Question About Tasha"?

No, Jack actually married Emily - he didn't break off the engagement.

Oh yeah. Whoops. Didn't think that through very well. That's interesting that both Jack and Whit faced the same trouble then. And presumably Whit's broken engagement came before Jack started dating Emily, unless of course Whit got engaged while dating Jenny. Somehow I doubt that.

If we ever have another episode on Christians dating Christians, it would be cool to have one about either Jack or Whit. Preferably Jack, and then Whit could council him from previous experience. Jack could get mad, get married anyway, and then we could flash forward, to their married years, and finally hear from his kids. And Marshall Younger could come back to play Jack!

...sadly though, I think our days with Jack centered episodes have passed, even if it only features young Jack. I don't think they'd go to the work of telling the story.

[Woody]

I just listened to A Question About Tasha today. So sad. Whit definitely says that he broke off his engagement with someone. I'd love to add my headcanon Julie Whittaker-marries-Blackgaard-rebel-from-the-DoD-have-Buck Oliver-storyline, but that would be wrong :'(

Um, A Question About Tasha is one of the episodes where Whit's gone. It was Jack. And he actually married Emily.

[Leonard Meltsner]

I just listened to A Question About Tasha today. So sad. Whit definitely says that he broke off his engagement with someone. I'd love to add my headcanon Julie Whittaker-marries-Blackgaard-rebel-from-the-DoD-have-Buck Oliver-storyline, but that would be wrong :'(

Um, A Question About Tasha is one of the episodes where Whit's gone. It was Jack. And he actually married Emily.

I know, my saying that I listened to the episode, and Whit's talking about his engagement were two completely unrelated statements. I probably should've made it a new paragraph there.
Correction:

"I listened to the episode yesterday. Jack's story was very sad, as always.

On a completely unrelated note, Whit does say in "First Love" in Album 8 that he broke off his engagement to someone."

[Woody]

He said he had a relationship with a girl in collage who wasn't a christian and he had to end the relationship. He never said he was engaged to her.

[Leonard Meltsner]

Oh dearie, you may be right. I really hate it when I'm wrong. Now I'm going to have to kill you and delete the evidence... *coughcoughwhat?*


Yeah, I just checked, you're right.

[Laurie]

He said he had a relationship with a girl in collage who wasn't a christian and he had to end the relationship. He never said he was engaged to her.

And that took place in First Love.

[Woody]

I know, that's how I found out about it, you guys telling me it was in First Love, I listened to the episode.

[Marvin D.]

Thank goodness Leonard did not say he remembered all of the Odyssey lines, or he'd have never lived it down.

[DanP740]

I did not know he has a photographic memory. Or that he can apparently see sound.