Eastern Washington University Athletics

Whitehill is a former basketball player, track and field standout and coach at Eastern, and was also a national champion racquetball player and Hall of Fame official. He played basketball for Red Reese for four years from 1948-51, during which Eastern teams won 77 games and lost just 35. He averaged 9.3 points and 8.9 rebounds as a senior when Eastern repeated as Evergreen Conference champions. Whitehill was a member of the Red Reese All-Time Team, representing the top 13 players Reese coached in 31 seasons at the helm. Whitehill played on Eastern's squad in 1949-50 that finished 23-7 and was regarded by Reese as his best team In track, Whitehill won Evergreen Conference pole vault and high jump titles, and at one time held the school's high jump record. He coached track for two seasons at Eastern in the 1960's, with Eastern finishing as high as fifth in the NAIA Championships. Whitehill served as a professor of physical education at Eastern for 30 years after receiving four college degrees. He received his undergraduate degree from Eastern in 1951, a master's in education from Eastern in 1956, a master's in science from Oregon in 1961 and his doctorate degree from Oregon in 1963. He served as Eastern faculty president and chairman of academic senate, and later became president of the school's retired faculty organization. He officiated in football and basketball for more than 16 years, and was selected to the Inland Empire Basketball Officials Hall of Fame. From 1974-90 he played in five national racquetball tournaments, winning three individual championships and four doubles titles. He helped bring the 1974 World Racquetball Championships to Eastern in conjunction with the World's Fair in Spokane. And since 1955 he and his wife Altamae were avid supporters of Eastern's athletic department, with Pat serving as chairman of the committee that dedicated the Reese Room and Reese Court in honor of his former coach. Pat passed away on Feb. 25, 2012, and Altamae died on Feb. 13, 2020.