Ruth Whitaker

{{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 died in Fayetteville, Arkansas.{{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}}[http://www.nelsonberna.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1455809 Ruth Reed Whitaker-obituary]