{{Short description|American politician (1936–2014)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} '''Ruth Reed Whitaker''' (December 13, 1936 – November 10, 2014) was a Republican member of the Arkansas Senate, with service from 2001 to 2013.
Born in Blytheville in Mississippi County, Arkansas, Whitaker graduated from Heber Springs High School in Cleburne County and then attended Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. She resided in Fort Smith in Sebastian County and Cedarville in Crawford County. Prior to her election to the state Senate, Whitaker served on the Cedarville City Council.
She was married to Dr. T. J. Whittaker and they had two children.<ref name=bio>https://senate.arkansas.gov/senate-history-education/women-in-the-senate/</ref> She died in Fayetteville, Arkansas.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.knoe.com/story/27355929/former-arkansas-state-sen-ruth-whitaker-dies|title=Former Arkansas state Sen. Ruth Whitaker dies|location=Cedarville, Arkansas|publisher=KNOE|date=November 11, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113012051/http://www.knoe.com/story/27355929/former-arkansas-state-sen-ruth-whitaker-dies|archive-date=November 13, 2014|access-date=November 9, 2023|via=Wayback Machine}}</ref><ref>[http://www.nelsonberna.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1455809 Ruth Reed Whitaker-obituary]</ref>
==Notes== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/R/Pages/MemberProfile.aspx?member=Whitaker Arkansas State Legislature-Senator Ruth Whitaker]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitaker, Ruth}} Category:1936 births Category:2014 deaths Category:People from Blytheville, Arkansas Category:People from Cleburne County, Arkansas Category:People from Crawford County, Arkansas Category:Politicians from Fort Smith, Arkansas Category:Hendrix College alumni Category:Arkansas city council members Category:Women state legislators in Arkansas Category:Republican Party Arkansas state senators Category:Women city councillors in Arkansas Category:21st-century members of the Arkansas General Assembly Category:21st-century American women politicians
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