Whiting's early exposure to the harsh realities of industrial America developed his strong sense of civic duty and commitment to education.

A friendship was struck, and two years later Walker offered Whiting the paid position as secretary to the Society of Arts and Crafts, Boston.

[2] Whiting remained in this position for 12 years, establishing himself as a national advocate for industrial and decorative art objects, craftworks, and public education.

[3] He served as the original editor for the publication, which had a clear focus on educating its audience and connecting its community by distributing essays by artists and craftsmen, advertising craft shows, and listing local lecture and demonstration opportunities.

[5] The earliest years of the Cleveland Museum of Art (known colloquially as "CMA") involved a very intimate group of people, mostly executors named by the wills of Horace Kelley and John Huntington.

[8] The collection that developed in the earliest stages of the CMA's founding included art that was considered to be accessible, relevant, and useful to its community.

[12] The 1916 inaugural collection had hundreds of vases, bowls, plates, pottery, and other objects which, during this period, were not traditionally found in major museums.

[13] Their similarities provided a constant variable that allowed for daily-life comparisons, while their differences in design intrigued the museum goers.

Further insisting on the relevance of the museum to the local community, Whiting also took part in establishing the annual Cleveland May Show for craftsmen and women.

[16] Whiting oversaw the original construction of the CMA, ensuring that a state-of-the-art facility would house the museum's already growing collections, anticipating concerns for preservation and conservation throughout the building process.

Under his wing, the AFA began to publish reference and teaching guides, student workbooks, slides, and films that were distributed to educational programs across the country.

About the Orlando effort he wrote: "It is an expansion of the plan I worked out with Miss Eastman for the use of distant branch libraries as local cultural centers.

"[23] Under Whiting's leadership, the Cleveland Museum of art spearheaded innovations in collections policies, display technology, conservation, education and outreach programs, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

[24] In many ways, Whiting played an important role in setting the standards for what many twenty-first century Americans now hold in regard to their experiences at an art museum.

In its earliest days, the astounding relationship between the CMA and the Cleveland community gave cause for other well-established museums to stop and take recognition.

[25] Whiting's public outreach programming helped to establish the principle functions of early American museums as both educational and aesthetic institutions.

[27] Whiting established a clear place for the celebration of handcrafted materials in museum collections, and in turn, secured their position within the greater hierarchy of art and artifacts.

Raymond O'Neil wrote of him: "No man who has come to Cleveland in recent years had been half so expert in wearing glasses as Mr. Whiting is.

The ultimate success of Whiting's career resounds in the fact that nearly every institution and publication he originally shaped exists and thrives in some capacity to this day.

Whiting's departure for the AFA was simply the 'next step' in his journey to bring to the nation what he had already brought to Cleveland: a solid arts institution that prioritized education initiatives.

The two were appointed to organize the Division of Applied Arts at the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition of 1904 in St. Louis, and were awarded a gold medal for their participation.