Whiting was born on July 20, 1864, in
Holyoke, Massachusetts. He was the son of
William Whiting II, a politician and businessman, and Anna Morgan (née Fairfield). He attended
Amherst College and graduated in the class of 1896 alongside future Secretary of State
Robert Lansing. When his father died, Whiting became president of the Whiting Paper Company and his brother Samuel Raynor Whiting became treasurer. Later, Whiting and
Frank Stearns were the first two "Coolidge Men" who advocated their friend as a serious presidential candidate. At the
1920 Republican National Convention, Whiting voted for Coolidge for president on every ballot, the sole delegate to do so after
Warren G. Harding had sewed up the votes to win the nomination. Former Senator
William Butler of Massachusetts turned down the post before Coolidge offered it to Whiting. During his first press interview after his appointment, Whiting stated, "My policies will be Mr. Hoover's policies." == Personal life ==