William R. Whitehouse: Pied Piper of Prevention

William Whitehouse’s program for preventing substance abuse has won him more than honors and recognition; it has won him friends for life. His popularity in and around Cleburne, Texas, has earned Dr. Whitehouse an informal title: Pied Piper of Prevention.

Twenty years ago, before much national attention was focused on alcohol and drug addiction, Brother Whitehouse was interested in providing local high school students with useful information they could share with younger students. “Children are never too young to make choices,” he says. “If we can reach them before bad habits are acquired, it is far better than trying to help them change later in life. Prevention is more effective than rehabilitation.”

It was clear to Dr. Whitehouse that those best suited to provide the information were the very people these youngsters looked up to as examples—high school students. Through his efforts, high school students in Cleburne began going into elementary schools, where they gave talks on patriotism, respect for law, and the problems of tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse.

The program eventually spread from the Cleburne schools to several other school systems in the north central Texas area. It has even gained the attention and support of Rotary Clubs outside the area. Elementary-school students reacted positively, expressing appreciation to their high-school mentors. One child wrote, “I used to think I would try cigarettes when I get older, but I don’t no more.” Another penned, “I love you and will do whatever you say.”

Brother Whitehouse has been officially recognized by the governor of Texas for his efforts to fight drug abuse, and he has also been appointed to the Texas Medical Association’s Special Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. In 1972 he was voted Citizen of the Year in Cleburne, and in 1989 he was honored with a plaque on the Wall of Fame at Cleburne High School, an honor reserved for its truly outstanding graduates.

At seventy-four, this almost-retired surgeon continues to see patients three days a week in his Cleburne clinic, though he no longer does surgery himself.

“People are my life,” says Brother Whitehouse, a high priest in the Cleburne Ward, Ft. Worth Texas Stake. He spends his days with his wife, his children, and his grandchildren and in serving others in his ward and community. He is a favored speaker for people of all religious affiliations, and young and old alike have turned to him for counsel.

“It’s nice to be recognized by individuals and by your community. I do feel honored,” he says. “But, really, the relationships we develop with others are the things of this life that we take with us.”