John Mills Whitaker was born on 16 October 1863 in Centerville, Utah, to Thomas William Whitaker and Elizabeth Oakden Mills Whitaker. His youth was spent at Centerville and Ogden working with his father in farming and carpentry. He attended the University of Deseret during the 1880s and married Ida Taylor in 1886. He worked for the Salt Lake and Fort Douglas Railway and helped organize the Utah-Western Railway Company. Whitaker served in various capacities in the LDS Church, including several missions. He was a teacher and promoted the teaching of young people. He was responsible for the development of the LDS seminary system. John Mills Whitaker died on 2 April 1960.
From the guide to the Whitaker, John Mills photograph collection, 1880s-1920s, (J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah)
