William Elroy Parker (born January 20, 1877), better known as Kid Parker, was an American

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...

, physical culturist and promoter of

vegetarianism Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarianism may ...

Biography

Parker was born on January 20, 1877, in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

.''Original Vegetarian Was Champ Kid Parker''. ''Charleston Mail'' (January 26, 1915). Parker was considered the best boxer in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

. He had an 18-match undefeated streak. In 1900, he fought a ten-round draw with

Matty Matthews William "Matty" Matthews (July 13, 1873 – December 6, 1948) was an American boxer of the early 20th century born and raised in New York City. He was the world welterweight champion twice between 1900 and 1901, and was one of the first boxing ...

. Parker became a vegetarian in 1901. He stated that a strict vegetarian diet increased his physical endurance and increased his mental power. He was the first vegetarian boxer.''Freddie Welsh Not the First Vegetarian in Ring History''
''The Bridgeport Evening Farmer'' (January 20, 1915). In April 1902, ''The Vegetarian Magazine'' published a letter describing Parker's conversion to vegetarianism. He became known as the "vegetarian champion" and "vegetarian pugilist". Parker's vegetarian diet consisted of cereals, fruit, milk, nuts, vegetables and a liberal amount of eggs.''Exercises for Women''
''The San Francisco Call'' (April 5, 1903). In April, 1903 Parker authored an article on

physical culture Physical culture, also known as Body culture, is a health and strength training movement that originated during the 19th century in Germany, the UK and the US. Origins The physical culture movement in the United States during the 19th century ...

in the ''

San Francisco Call ''The San Francisco Call'' was a newspaper that served San Francisco, California. Because of a succession of mergers with other newspapers, the paper variously came to be called ''The San Francisco Call & Post'', the ''San Francisco Call-Bulletin ...

'', advocating a vegetarian diet for health reasons. He declared he would still be boxing at 35 and live to be 100 years old because he is vegetarian. In 1905, Parker was described as "one of the most gentlemanly fighters in the prize ring today". Parker's wife was also a boxer. Parker's last ring appearance was in 1906. After his boxing career ended Parker was institutionalized in an asylum at

Norfolk, Nebraska Norfolk ( or ) is a city in Madison County, Nebraska, United States, 113 miles northwest of Omaha and 83 miles west of Sioux City at the intersection of U.S. Routes 81 and 275. The population was 24,210 at the 2010 census, making it the nint ...

as he suffered from hallucinations. Parker would repeatedly punch the wall in his padded cell so was given boxing gloves to protect his hands.''Kid Parker, Once Great Fighter, Is Now Insane''
''Barton County Democrat'' (June 21, 1912).

Selected publications

''The Conversion of a Noted Pugilist''
(1902)
''Exercises for Women''
(1903)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, Kid 1877 births American male boxers American vegetarianism activists Lightweight boxers People associated with physical culture Boxers from Boston Year of death missing