The following professorships have been established by the Board of Trustees and are endowed wholly or in part. The titles of individuals holding named professorships may vary slightly.
The Alexander Jay Anderson Professorship of Mathematics was founded in 1914 in memory of Alexander Jay Anderson, Ph.D., first president of the college.
The Spencer F. Baird Professorship of Biology was founded in 1898 in memory of Spencer Fullerton Baird, Ph.D., the eminent scientist who was for many years secretary of the Smithsonian Institute.
The Linda King Brewer Sociology Professorship was initiated in 2018 by Linda King Brewer ’66, a sociology major at Whitman, to support the faculty of the sociology department.
The Benjamin H. Brown Professorship of Physics was founded in 1957 by alumni and friends to enhance the teaching of physics at Whitman College in the tradition set by Benjamin H. Brown, eminent member of the Whitman faculty for 32 years.
The Computer Science Professorships were established in 2012 to support the growth of the computer sciences program by supporting faculty salaries.
The Gregory M. Cowan Professorship in English Language and Literature was created with the proceeds of a trust of local farm property gifted by Pearl Ramsay Cowan. This professorship is named for her son Gregory, Whitman Class of 1957 and associate professor of English at Texas A&M University, who died in 1979.
The James and Penelope DeMeules Professorship in Chemistry received initial funding in 2010 from Trustee Emeritus James H. De Meules ’67 and spouse Penelope De Meules.
The Mary A. Denny Professorship of English was founded in 1909 by Margaretta L. Denny of Seattle in honor of her mother, one of the earliest and most honored pioneers of the Puget Sound region.
The Cushing Eells Professorship of Philosophy, established in 1896 in memory of Reverend Cushing Eells, D.D., the founder of the college, was endowed by the gifts of many friends in New England.
The Nancy Bell Evans Professorship of Music was funded in 2018 by Nancy Bell Evans ’54 and her husband, former Washington State Governor and United States Senator Daniel J. Evans, to support distinguished teaching in Nancy’s Whitman major.
The Paul Garrett Professorships of Anthropology, Drama, and Political Science were established in 1980 by the Board of Trustees with a bequest from the Paul Garrett ’13 estate. Mr. Garrett was an overseer of the college and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws in 1947.
The Patricia and William Goetter Professorship of History was established in 2022 to provide annual funding to support a distinguished history teacher/scholar, with a preference for a background in history of the American West.
The William Kirkman Professorship of History was founded in 1919 in memory of William Kirkman of Walla Walla, a trustee and lifelong friend of the college.
The Miles C. Moore Professorship of Political Science was founded in 1919 in memory of Miles Conway Moore of Walla Walla, who left a bequest to establish a professorship.
The Stephen F. Meyer Professorship of Physics received initial funding in 2016 from Stephen F. Meyer ’69.
The Hollon Parker Professorship of Economics and Business was founded in 1913 by Hollon Parker of Portland, Ore.
The Clement Biddle Penrose Professorship of Latin was founded in 1914 in memory of Judge Penrose of Philadelphia, Penn.
The Grace Farnsworth Phillips Professorship of Geology was established in 1983 by the Board of Trustees with a bequest from Mrs. Phillips’ estate. Mrs. Phillips was a 1913 alumna and generous supporter of Whitman College.
The Paul Pigott and William M. Allen Professorship in Ethics was established in 2015 by Pigott’s son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Gaye Pigott, generous philanthropists and grandparents of a Whitman alumna, and William Allen’s daughter and son-in-law, Dorothy and N.S. Penrose, Jr. ’55. The endowment provides support for a scholar specializing in ethics.
The Arthur G. Rempel Professorship of Biology was founded in 1981 by former students in honor of biology Professor Arthur G. Rempel, Ph.D., and his accomplishments as a distinguished teacher, scholar, and professor at Whitman College.
The Ralph C. Rittenour Jr. Professorship in Economics was established by friends, family, and fellow trustees in memory of Ralph Rittenour, a longtime member of the Board of Trustees Investment Committee. The endowment supports a teacher/scholar in the economics department.
The Mina Schwabacher Professorships of Math/Computer Science and English were established in 1979 by a bequest from Ms. Schwabacher’s estate. Ms. Schwabacher was a generous and longtime friend of the college who lived to the age of 104.
The Nathaniel Shipman Professorship of Physics was founded in 1914 in memory of Judge Shipman of Hartford, Conn.
The Don Snow Professorship of Environmental Humanities was established in 2022 by the Board of Trustees in honor of retired chair and senior lecturer in environmental humanities, Don Snow. It provides funding to support a faculty member in environmental humanities.
The Dr. Robert F. Welty Professorship of Biology was established in 2002 by the Board of Trustees in honor of the late Dr. Welty ’35 with the assistance of his wife, Dr. Elizabeth Main Welty, longtime trustee and friend of the college.
The Weyerhaeuser Professorship of Biblical Literature was founded in 1921 by the seven children of Frederick and Elizabeth Sarah Weyerhaeuser as a memorial to their parents.