Robert Russell Whittaker (born September 18, 1939) is a former

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

Early life

Whittaker was born in

Eureka, Kansas Eureka is a city in and the county seat of Greenwood County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,332. History The first settlement at Eureka was in 1857. The first post office in Eureka was establis ...

and was educated in the

Greenwood County Greenwood County is the name of two counties in the United States: * Greenwood County, Kansas Greenwood County (county code GW) is a county located in the southeast portion of the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county populat ...

public schools. He attended the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...

from 1957 to 1959, and

Emporia State University Emporia State University (Emporia State or ESU) is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. E ...

during the summer of 1959. Whittaker earned his

Doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

of Optometry degree (O.D.) from Illinois College of Optometry in 1962, and began practice as an optometrist. He was

clinic A clinic (or outpatient clinic or ambulatory care clinic) is a health facility that is primarily focused on the care of outpatients. Clinics can be privately operated or publicly managed and funded. They typically cover the primary care needs ...

director for the Kansas Low Vision Clinic in 1973.

Career

Whittaker's first foray into politics was as

precinct committeeman A precinct captain, also known as a precinct chairman, precinct delegate, precinct committee officer or precinct committeeman, is an elected official in the American political party system. The office establishes a direct link between a political ...

and member of the

city planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...

commission from 1970 to 1974. He served in the

Kansas House of Representatives The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafti ...

from 1974 to 1977. Whittaker was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the Ninety-sixth and to the five succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1991). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1990 to the

One Hundred Second Congress The 102nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1991 ...

. He is a resident of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Whittaker, Bob 1939 births Living people Republican Party members of the Kansas House of Representatives People from Augusta, Kansas People from Eureka, Kansas American optometrists University of Kansas alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kansas