Carolyn Miller Parr (born April 17, 1937) was a judge of the
United States Tax Court
The United States Tax Court (in case citations, T.C.) is a federal trial court of record established by Congress under Article I of the U.S. Constitution, section 8 of which provides (in part) that the Congress has the power to "constitute Trib ...
from 1985 to 2002.
Early life, education, and career
Born in
Palatka, Florida
Palatka () is a city in northeastern Florida and it is the county seat of Putnam County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,558 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Putnam County. Palatka is the principal city of the Palatka Mi ...
, to Arthur C. and Audrey Dunklin Miller, Parr received a
B.A.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in English from
Stetson University
Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I–4 corridor in Central Florida with the primary undergraduate campus in DeLand. The university was founded in 1883 and was later established in 1887 ...
in 1959, followed by an
M.A.
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in English from
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
Georgetown University Law Center
The Georgetown University Law Center (Georgetown Law) is the law school of Georgetown University, a private research university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law school in the United States by enrollment and ...
in 1977.''Official Congressional Directory'' (2002), p. 866-67.
Parr served as senior trial attorney for the
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory ta ...
from 1977 to 1982, and as special counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, and Acting Chief, Office of Special Litigation in the Tax Division of the
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...
from 1982 to 1985. In 1982, she was also chair of the Board of Directors of Heritage Christian Church.
Judicial career and later life
In 1985, Parr was nominated by President
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
to a 15-year term in a seat on the Tax Court vacated by the retirement of William M. Fay, and took her oath of office on November 25, 1985. While serving on the court in 1997, she ruled that the estate of former Tennessee Governor
Ray Blanton
Leonard Ray Blanton (April 10, 1930 – November 22, 1996)Fred Rolater"Leonard Ray Blanton" ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture'', 2009. Retrieved: December 31, 2012.kickbacks received by the governor.
Following her service on the Tax Court, Parr co-founded a mediation and arbitration firm called "Beyond Disputes Associates".Josh Tapper, "Study: Age, wisdom go hand in hand", ''Port Charlotte Sun'' (August 12, 2010), p. 1.
Personal life
Parr married
Jerry Parr
Jerry S. Parr (September 16, 1930 – October 9, 2015) was a United States Secret Service special agent who is best known for defending President Ronald Reagan during the Attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, attempt on the president's life o ...
in 1959, with whom she had three daughters, Kimberly, Jennifer, and Trish. Jerry Parr served as a
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and ...
agent, and became famous for saving President
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
from an assassination attempt in 1981; Jerry and Carolyn Parr co-authored his memoir, ''In the Secret Service: The True Story Of The Man who Saved President Reagan''. Jerry Parr died of
congestive heart failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...
at a hospice in Washington, D.C., on October 9, 2015, aged 85, survived by his wife of nearly 56 years.