Whitman was born in
Troy, New York on July 29, 1853. He was graduated at
Brown University in 1874 and took his A.M. there in 1877, later studying at
Johns Hopkins University. He was professor of physics at
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, in 1880–1886, and from 1886 occupied the same position at the
Western Reserve University. He was a contributor to scientific periodicals. ==Notes==