Jim Whittaker, first American to reach summit of Mount Everest, dies at 97

James Warren Whittaker, the Seattle mountaineer who became the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest and later helped turn climbing into a bigger part of outdoor culture in the United States, has died at age 97.

Whittaker died Tuesday at his home in Port Townsend, Washington, according to Cascadia Daily News in an obituary produced in collaboration with his family. His son Leif said Whittaker died in bed with a view of the Olympic Mountains, Port Townsend Bay and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Born and raised in Seattle, Whittaker emerged from the Pacific Northwest climbing world and became one of the most important American mountaineers of his generation.

He reached the top of Mount Everest on May 1, 1963, becoming the first American to stand on the world’s highest mountain during an American expedition in the Himalayas.

President John F. Kennedy marked the achievement in a statement the next day, saying the American climbers had pushed “human endurance and experience to their farthest frontiers.”

Whittaker’s connection to the Kennedy family continued after Everest. In 1965, he joined Sen. Robert F. Kennedy on the first ascent of Mount Kennedy in Canada, a peak named in honor of President John F. Kennedy.

Beyond Everest, Whittaker remained a major figure in American climbing for decades. He later led the 1978 American expedition that made the first U.S. ascent of K2 in Pakistan, the world’s second-highest mountain.

Whittaker is survived by his wife, Dianne Roberts; his sons Joss, Leif and Robert Whittaker; grandchildren Adam and Anthony Whittaker and Sarah Kanzler; and great-granddaughter Sophie Whittaker. He was preceded in death by his former wife, Blanche Montbroussous, and his sons Carl Bernard Whittaker and James Scott Whittaker.

“He feels so lucky to have lived the life that he has lived. He feels so fortunate to have experienced this magical planet and crossed paths with so many amazing people,” his son Leif Whittaker told Cascadia Daily News. “He wanted to acknowledge that it takes some luck to be successful on something like climbing Everest.”

“We are saddened to hear of the passing of Jim Whittaker, author of “A Life on the Edge” and longtime Mountaineers member,” the Mountaineers said in a statement. “The first American to summit Mount Everest, Jim Whittaker’s legacy lives on in the countless lives he inspired and the community he helped build.”

Memorial donations in Whittaker’s name may be made to The Mountaineers, the Northwest Maritime Center or the Hospice Foundation for Jefferson Healthcare.