Whitman College - Alma Mater

Alma Mater

Whitman's Alma mater is rarely heard today outside of Commencement. Dating from 1914, the "The Whitman Hymn" was written and composed by President Penrose to create school unity and spirit.

When the morning light is breaking,

O're the mountain's eastern rim

And the world to work is waking

Let us sing our happy hymn.

Here's to the blue sky above us,

Here's to the wheat field's gold,

Here's to the friends that love us,

And our love will ne're grow cold.

For friends and fields and mountains

Under heaven's kindly blue.

And the college 'mid the fountains,

dear old Whitman hear's to you

With the joys of life before us,

and life's battle stern and grim

With the kindly heaven o're us,

We will sing our happy hymn.