Tobias Zeke Whitman was born October 5, 1954 in Jackson, Mississippi to Myrna and Jacob Whitman. His parents, immigrants from Poland, changed their surname from Wiczinski to Whitman when they noticed a sign at Ellis Island advertising chocolates, but they never forgot the old ways and took great pains to teach Tobias about the traditions of their beloved Poland and his ancestors, some of whom were victims of the Holocaust.

His mother was a violinist and taught Tobias his appreciation of music and the fine arts, leading him to develop an interest in painting and gourmet cooking. His father was a tailor and taught Tobias the virtue of patience and the importance of detail, which caused Tobias to develop a love of all the details of life. If Tobias liked something, he learned everything there was to know about it, which was a natural training ground for his future as a curator.

In 1976, Tobias graduated from the University of Mississippi with B. A. in English and a minor in Art History. His love of antiques led him to his first business venture of importing antiques and fine furniture from Europe, which he often refurbished himself. Being a collector himself, Tobias has quite a selection of treasures of his own. He is said to have a Rolls Royce once owned by Clark Gable and Carole Lombard which he has been known to take on Sunday drives around town.

As a sideline, he used his abilities to locate rare books and also became a book dealer. He was especially interested in Southern authors such as Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, Harper Lee, and William Faulkner. In 1988, Tobias returned to the University of Mississippi as a part-time student and earned an M. A. in Southern Studies in 1992. As part of his Master's degree studies, Tobias arranged an internship at Rowan Oak because of his fascination with the great author William Faulkner. He fell in love with Rowan Oak and has been there in one capacity or another ever since. He officially became curator of Rowan Oak in 1996.

Another of Tobias' talents is writing, particularly about food. He writes for Oxford Town Magazine as a food critic under the pen name of "Forbes Huffsmith." In his free time, Tobias hosts small dinner parties for friends and associates. He has never found a woman who shares his tastes or passions, so he has never married and lives alone with his two Russian wolfhounds, "Faulkner" and "Steinbeck."