[1] Upon his graduation, Whitten was hired as assistant professor in science and mathematics at ISNU, moving in 1903 to the University of Illinois to teach physics and solid geometry while also taking advanced courses.

Smith was secretary of the IHSAA board of control and delegated his Federation duties to Whitten, who handled them without any formal title until 1927.

Accepting the job on the condition that it not interfere with his high school work, Whitten led all three amateur sports organizations simultaneously.

[6] A few months into the job, Whitten publicly accused J. Stanley Brown, the president of Northern Illinois State Normal School, of ordering his football coach to play three ineligible players in a contest against North Central College, among other irregularities.

Many high school principals did not see any academic benefit in having students travel cross-country to participate in a week-long tournament after they had just won a state championship.

The tournament, run by the legendary Amos Alonzo Stagg, grew from 23 teams in 1917 to a high of 43 in 1927, before support among state associations and the National Federation began to crumble.

In 1940, when the IHSAA was reorganized to include non-athletic activities as well as sports, it adopted a new constitution and shortened name: the Illinois High School Association.

His plan was upset when the National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations hired Porter as its first full-time executive.

Rather than turn over the association's affairs to a new director with no experience, Whitten continued at the helm for two more years (with the new title of executive secretary) until his successor, Albert Willis, could be trained.

Jennie became a professor of foreign languages at Illinois State University; the former Whitten Hall dormitory was named in her honor.