Remembering Jim Whittaker

A giant of mountaineering and Northwest outdoor life—and at 6 foot 5 inches a towering figure befitting his nickname—Jim Whittaker, ‘52, died Monday, April 6, at his home in Port Townsend. He was 97.

The first American to summit Mount Everest, Whittaker would go on to become REI’s first full-time employee and later CEO before becoming an accomplished sailor.

“Seattle University is proud of Jim for his record achievement as a climber and as a civic and business leader of our community,” says Stephen V. Sundborg, S.J., interim president of Seattle University.

Raised in West Seattle, Jim and his identical twin brother, Lou, ‘52, came to Seattle University together and spent their early years on campus with the basketball team. Jim graduated with a degree in biology.

The brothers' love of climbing, which they started at age 12, would win out. They first summited Mount Rainier at age 16 and by 18 had reached the top of all the major mountains in Washington state. Sometimes that meant running afoul of the basketball teams’ rules.

“Their basketball coach was not happy to see a photo in the paper of them climbing Mount Rainier when they were restricted from doing so during practice season,” says Father Sundborg, adding: “They remained loyal Seattle University alumni.”

In 2011, Whittaker was inducted into the Seattle University Athletics Hall of Fame.

Whittaker’s love of climbing rose to new heights in 1963, when he and Sherpa Nawang Gombu reached the top of the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest. The feat would earn Whittaker an honor from President John F. Kennedy.

Whittaker would grow close to Robert Kennedy and his family, leading then Sen. Kennedy in 1965 on the first ascent of Mount Kennedy in the Yukon Territory in Canada. The two became friends, often sharing adventures together. 

Additionally, he supported Bobby Kennedy’s tragically fated run for president, serving as Washington state campaign manager, and was witness to one of the most shocking events in U.S. history. As Bobby Kennedy lay dying in 1968 after being shot by an assassin, Whittaker was at his bedside holding his friend’s hand. He served his friend once more as one of the pallbearers. 

Back home in Seattle, Whittaker’s love of climbing expanded into improving access to the equipment mountain trekking required, becoming the first full-time employee of REI and later its CEO. He also promoted conservation efforts and testified in front of Congress for the preservation of more wild spaces, according to a comprehensive news obituary by veteran journalist and Cascadia Daily News contributor Elliott Almond.

Mechanical Engineering Associate Teaching Professor Eric Gilbertson, PhD, himself a renowned mountaineer, says this advocacy will be one of Whittaker's most enduring gifts to future generations of climbers and adventurers.

“Jim Whittaker was an inspiration not only for being the first American to climb Everest but also for helping with the creation of North Cascades National Park and the Pasayten Wilderness, preserving some of the best mountaineering and wilderness areas in the state and country,” Gilbertson says. “His environmental advocacy legacy will last for a long time.”

Whittaker’s love of adventure would lead him to explore the seas as a diver and mariner and he made his home with his family in Port Townsend. His identical twin brother, Lou, also an accomplished mountaineer, died in 2024 at age 95.

In an interview with The Seattle P-I, Whittaker remarked that living a full life meant pushing oneself.

“It’s about making the most of every moment, about stretching your own boundaries, about being willing to learn constantly and putting yourself in situations where (you are) learning,” he told the newspaper. “Being out on the edge, with everything at risk, is where you learn—and grow—the most.”

Watch a video of Jim Whittaker on the 50^th anniversary of his historic ascent of Everest.