Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Mount Everest, dies at 97
Jim Whittaker is interviewed for the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the First American Ascent of Mount Everest in Berkeley, Calif., Feb. 22, 2013. Jeff Chiu/AP hide caption toggle caption Jeff Chiu/AP SEATTLE — The celebrated mountaineer Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Mount Everest, has died. He was 97. Whittaker, who also served as