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Charles Whitman

Charles Joseph Whitman was born on June 24, 1941 in Lake Worth, Florida, the eldest of three sons born to Charles and Margaret Whitman. Whitman Sr. had been raised in an orphanage in Savannah, Georgia and described himself as a self-made man. In 1940, he had married Whitman's mother Margaret, who was then 17 years old. The marriage of Whitman's parents was marred by violence: Whitman Sr. was an admitted authoritarian who provided for his family, but demanded near perfection from all of them. He was also known to become physically and emotionally abusive towards both his wife and children.

Whitman was a polite, well-mannered child who seldom lost his temper. He was also extremely intelligent: an examination at the age of six revealed his IQ to be 172. Whitman's academic achievements were encouraged by his parents,

From an early age, Whitman was taught by his father how to handle and shoot firearms. Whitman Sr. was an extensive firearms collector and enthusiast who taught each of his sons how to shoot, clean and maintain weapons. In addition, Whitman Sr. regularly took his sons on hunting trips, and Charles became an avid hunter and accomplished marksman, with his father later stating: "Charlie could shoot the eye out of a squirrel by the time he was sixteen.

Whitman's initial 18-month tour of duty in 1959 and 1960 was exemplary, and he earned a Good Conduct Medal, a Sharpshooter's Badge and the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal. After completing his assignment, Whitman applied to a U.S. Navy and Marine Corps scholarship program with the aim of becoming a commissioned officer. He earned high scores on the required examination, and the selection committee approved his enrollment at a preparatory school in Maryland. Whitman successfully completed courses there in mathematics and physics before transferring to the University of Texas to study mechanical engineering, later switching his focus to architectural engineering. He continued to receive...