hiː plˈænd tə bɪkˌʌm ɐn ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹ,  bˌʌt hɪz fˈɑːðɚz ˈɪlnəs fˈoːɹst hˌɪm tə ɹᵻtˈɜːn tə ðə fˈæmɪli bˈɪznəs; ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪn, wˈaɪthɛd bɪkˌeɪm ɐ dɹˈʌɡɪst ɪn bˈɔɪz, ænd ˌɔn noʊvˈɛmbɚ sˈɛvəntˌiːn, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪn hiː mˈæɹid mjˈʊɹɹiːəl dʒˈiː. ʃˈɔː.
He planned to become an engineer,  but his father's illness forced him to return to the family business; In 1909, Whitehead became a druggist in Boise, and on November 17, 1909 he married Muriel G. Shaw.