Charles Whitman - Documented Frustrations and Lamentations

Documented Frustrations and Lamentations

In 1963, as he awaited his court martial, Whitman began to write a diary entitled "Daily Record of Charles J. Whitman". Within the journal are entries covering Whitman's everyday life in the Marine Corps and his interactions with Kathy and other family members. He also wrote about his then-upcoming court martial and his contempt for the Marine Corps, in particular the inefficiencies he perceived within the Corps. In his writings regarding his wife, Whitman often praised her; describing his adoration for her and—while separated from her during Marine Corps service—how much he yearned to be with her. He also chronicled his attempts and plans to free himself from financial dependence upon his father.

In December 1964, Whitman was honorably discharged from the Marines and returned to the University of Texas, this time enrolling in the architectural engineering program. Whitman worked as a bill collector for the Standard Finance Company. (Later, he was to work as a bank teller at the Austin National Bank.) In January 1965, Whitman took a temporary job with Central Freight Lines where he worked as a traffic surveyor for the Texas Highway Department. He also volunteered as a Scout leader for Austin Scout Troop 5 as his wife Kathy (having began her career as a teacher) worked as a biology teacher at Lanier High School.

Two close friends of Charles Whitman named John and Fran Morgan later told the Texas Department of Public Safety that Whitman had confided in them that he had struck Kathy on a total of three occasions, adding that Whitman had abhorred himself for having done so and had confessed to having been "mortally afraid of being like his father." Whitman also lamented his actions in his self-penned journal, in which he resolved to be a good husband and not an abusive husband as his father had been.