Title	Finding aid for Papers of John Mills Whitaker, 1883-1960 (bulk 1883-1949).
Creator	Whitaker, John Mills, 1863-1960.
Extent	40 pieces. 2 boxes.
Biographical Note	John Mills Whitaker was born in Centerville, Utah. His parents were Thomas William and Elizabeth Mills Whitaker. At an early age he studied the Isaac Pitman system of shorthand. While going to school at the University of Deseret he began working for Franklin Dewey Richards (1821-1899). In 1886 Whitaker married Ida Oakley Taylor, the daughter of John Taylor (1808-1877). Whitaker helped establish the first public library in Utah, was secretary to John Willard Young (1844-1924) while he owned the Salt Lake and Fort Douglas Railway and assisted him in establishing the Utah Western Railway Company, was secretary for the Deseret Sunday School Union, took part in the Easter States Mission, and was involved in the prohibition movement. He also found the time to serve as bishop of the Sugar House ward and to transcribe his yearly journals.
Scope and Content	This collection consists of the typed transcripts of the journals kept by John Mills Whitaker (1863-1960) and a typed transcript of the funeral service held for him. The journals cover the majority of Whitaker's life and discuss both his personal as well as professional life. Several journals deal with his functions as secretary to Franklin Dewey Richards (1821-1899), and Whitaker discusses the political oppression of the Mormons by the United States government, the public and political opposition to the practice of polygamy, and the persecution of the Mormons. Some of the people covered in these journals include George Quayle Cannon (1827-1901), Grover Cleveland (1837-1908), Erastus Fairbanks Snow (1818-1888), Lorenzo Snow (1814-1901), and Wilford Woodruff (1807-1898). Other journals deal with Whitaker's functions as secretary to John Willard Young (1844-1924), and he discusses in detail the financial aspects of the railroads being built in Utah, public education, and the statehood of Utah. In later journals Whitaker discusses Brigham Henry Roberts (1857-1933) and Reed Smoot (1862-1941) and their problems in dealing with the U.S. Congress.
Notes	All inquiries about this collection should be directed to the H. Russell Smith Foundation Curator, Western American Manuscripts.
Date	1883-1960.
Provenance	Gift of Eugene T. Whitaker, May 5, 1975.
Subject	Cleveland, Grover, 1837-1908. Whitaker, John Mills, 1863-1960. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Eastern States Mission. Deseret Sunday School Union. University of Deseret. Utah Western Railway Company. Curriculum planning -- Utah. Depressions -- 1929 -- United States. Education -- Utah. Libraries -- Utah -- History -- 19th century -- Sources. Libraries -- Utah -- History -- 20th century -- Sources. Mormon Church -- Bishops. Mormon Church -- Doctrines -- Polygamy. Mormon Church -- Utah -- History -- 19th century -- Sources. Mormon Church -- Utah -- History -- 20th century -- Sources. Mormon Church -- Political activity. Mormon Church -- Public opinion. Mormons -- Archival resources. Mormons -- Civil rights. Mormons -- Doctrines. Mormons -- Education. Mormons -- Legal status, laws, etc. Mormons -- Missions. Mormons -- Persecutions. Mormons -- Political activity -- History -- 19th century. Mormons -- Political activity -- History -- 20th century. Mormons -- Social conditions. Mormons -- Utah -- History -- 19th century -- Sources. Mormons -- Utah -- History -- 20th century -- Sources. Mormons -- Utah -- Social life and customs. Polygamy -- Religious aspects -- Mormon Church. Prohibition -- Utah. Public schools -- Utah. Public welfare -- United States -- History. Railroads -- Utah. Shorthand. Sunday schools -- History. Theology -- Study and teaching -- United States. Utah -- Statehood. Centerville (Utah) -- Description and travel.
Form/Genre	Diaries Utah 19th century. (aat) Diaries Utah 20th century. (aat)
Contributors	Cannon, George Q. (George Quayle), 1827-1901. Cleveland, Grover, 1837-1908. Richards, F. D. (Franklin Dewey), 1821-1899. Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry), 1857-1933. Smoot, Reed, 1862-1941. Snow, Erastus Fairbanks, 1818-1888. Snow, Lorenzo, 1814-1901. Taylor, John, 1808-1887. Woodruff, Wilford, 1807-1898. Young, John W. (John Willard), 1844-1924.
Department	Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery. Manuscripts Department.
Call Number	mssWhitaker papers
Accession Number	mss 00183.
Physical Collection	John Mills Whitaker Papers.
Digital Collection	Finding Aids, Huntington Digital Library
Physical Description	6 p.
Digitization Specifications	Original finding aid converted into PDF document by B. Black, 2011-12-23.
Date Digital	2011-12-23.
DCMI Type	text
Digital Format	pdf
Original Finding Aid	Finding aid prepared by Mitchell W. K. Toda, May 8, 2002.
Citation Information	Finding aid for John Mills Whitaker Papers, Huntington Digital Library, San Marino, California.
Restrictions	Images in this collection are for scholarly research; please review the Huntington Library's copyright information: http://cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/about. For purchasing images for publication please review our permission to publish policy: http://www.huntington.org/huntingtonlibrary.aspx?id=590.
Cataloging Notes	Forms part of the Manuscripts Department's Mormon File, 1807-1962.