▁was ▁the ▁second ▁of ▁four ▁children . ▁ ▁Whit field ▁attended ▁North western ▁University ▁for ▁his ▁Doctor ate ▁of ▁Div inity , ▁and ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 0 . ▁ ▁Career ▁Whit field ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Pu get ▁Sound ▁Conference ▁and ▁was ▁for ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁early ▁in ▁his ▁career , ▁the ▁super int endent ▁of ▁the ▁Al aska ▁Mission ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁past or ▁in ▁Sk ag way , ▁Al aska ▁before ▁moving ▁to ▁Washington ▁State . ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁time ▁as ▁the ▁Pres iding ▁E lder ▁of ▁the ▁Seattle ▁district ▁of ▁the ▁Method ist ▁church , ▁Whit field ▁helped ▁to ▁incorpor ate ▁the ▁Washington ▁Children ' s ▁Home ▁Society ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 8 9 7 . ▁The ▁organization ▁aim ed ▁to ▁provide ▁homes ▁for ▁hom eless ▁families ▁and ▁children . ▁ ▁Whit field , ▁who ▁was ▁serving ▁as ▁the ▁Pres iding ▁E lder ▁of ▁the ▁Seattle ▁district ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁succeeded ▁C raw ford ▁Th ob urn ▁as ▁president ▁of ▁Pu get ▁Sound ▁University ▁( now ▁University ▁of ▁Pu get ▁Sound ) ▁after ▁Th ob urn ’ s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 . ▁While ▁Whit field ▁is ▁listed ▁as ▁the ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁from ▁ 1 8 9 9 - 1 9 0 2 ▁in ▁The ▁Encyclopedia ▁of ▁World ▁Method ism , ), ▁he ▁was ▁only ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁school ▁until ▁ 1 9 0 0 . ▁During ▁the ▁following ▁few ▁years , ▁the ▁school ▁was ▁run ▁by ▁Dean ▁Pal