In 1961, Whitaker met a University of Minnesota freshman named Robert Zimmerman, who was wrestling with his life's purpose. He introduced young Zimmerman to the folk music of Woody Guthrie, and gave Zimmerman a copy of Guthrie's autobiography "Bound for Glory," a book about riding freight trains and playing the guitar on picket lines. Zimmerman decided to hitchhike to New York City to track down Guthrie and to become a folk singer himself. Along the way, Zimmerman changed his name to
Bob Dylan. A few weeks later, Dylan sent Whitaker a postcard that read: "Dear Dave, I met Woody, He likes my stuff. -Bob.".