We're the only selective, liberal arts college in a rural setting west of the Rockies, the only one that is not on the I-5 corridor. You come here because you are the type of person interested in the outdoors, in physical activity from a soccer game to a hike into the Eagle Cap Wilderness. Whitman's location has a lot to do with the campus culture, Tom Cronin has noted. We are about halfway between Seattle and Boise, halfway between Portland and Missoula, and halfway between the towering Cascade Mountains and the vast Rocky Mountains. They serve as a social outlet for students an opportunity to be with friends and provide stress relief and a chance to get out and get some exercise.
Sports play an important role in helping students to remain healthy.
The College supports students in these efforts to develop the habits of an active, healthy lifestyle. At Whitman we encourage students to excel in all areas, whether in biochemistry, theater, or the study of foreign languages and cultures. Encouragement for students to participate in sports and fitness activities has come in the form of enhancements to the spaces where they play and exercise. Five consecutive all-around national titles. Named for a former Whitman president, math professor, and tennis coach, the Walter A. Bratton Tennis Center opened in February of 1996.