Whittaker was born in
Eureka, Kansas, and was educated in the
Greenwood County public schools. He attended the
University of Kansas from 1957 to 1959, and
Emporia State University during the summer of 1959.{{cite web|url= http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000426|title=WHITTAKER, Robert Russell, (1939 - ) ==Political career ==