John M. Parker
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John Milliken Parker, Sr. (March 16, 1863 – May 20, 1939), was an American Democratic politician from Louisiana, who served as the state's 37th Governor from 1920 to 1924. He was a friend and admirer of
U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
Theodore Roosevelt.


Early years

Parker was born in Bethel Church, Mississippi to John Milliken Parker and Roberta Bunchner, wealthy parents whose families each owned substantial plantation lands in that state. He was educated at the historic prep school
Chamberlain-Hunt Academy Chamberlain-Hunt Academy was a boarding school in Port Gibson, Mississippi. The school was founded in 1830 as Oakland College and closed in 2014. The campus, with its buildings in brick Georgian Revival style, is listed in the National Registe ...
in Port Gibson, Mississippi, Belle View Academy in Virginia, and Eastman Business College in Poughkeepsie, New York. A prominent businessman, he was the president of the
New Orleans Cotton Exchange The New Orleans Cotton Exchange was established in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1871 as a centralized forum for the trade of cotton. It operated in New Orleans until closing in 1964. Occupying several buildings over its history, its final locatio ...
and the Board of Trade. In 1891, Parker participated in the mob that lynched eleven Italian immigrants in New Orleans, avenging the murder of Police Chief
David C. Hennessy David C. Hennessy (1858 – October 16, 1890) was a police chief of New Orleans, Louisiana. As a young detective, he made headlines in 1881 when he captured a notorious Italian criminal, Giuseppe Esposito. In 1888, he was promoted to superintend ...
. He refused to apologize for his role because he believed the mass lynching was justified.


Early political career

Parker first ran for Governor of Louisiana in
1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * ...
as the nominee of the Progressive Party, running against state Attorney General
Ruffin G. Pleasant Ruffin Golson Pleasant (June 2, 1871 – September 12, 1937) was the 36th Governor of Louisiana from 1916 to 1920, who is remembered for having mobilized his state for World War I. Prior to his governorship, Pleasant was the Louisiana attorne ...
, the Democratic nominee. Though Parker was ultimately defeated in a landslide, winning just 38% of the vote, the election was the closest gubernatorial election since
1896 Events January–March * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end, as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports that Wil ...
. Following his defeat, Parker was nominated by the Progressive party for Vice-President in
1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * ...
, but Roosevelt declined the Party's nomination for President and instead endorsed the Republican nominee, Charles Evans Hughes. Though the Party had no presidential nominee, and Parker endorsed President Woodrow Wilson for re-election, Parker remained on the ballot as the Progressive nominee for Vice-President in a handful of states, including Louisiana. Though the ticket won just 7% of the vote in Louisiana, Parker won Iberia and Lafourche parishes in southern Louisiana. In the aftermath of both losses, Parker was seen as a likely candidate for Governor in
1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...
. Parker formally left the Progressive Party in 1916 and registered as a Democrat. Frank P. Stubbs, a businessman and colonel in the
Louisiana National Guard The Louisiana National Guard is the armed force through which the Louisiana Military Department executes the U.S. state of Louisiana's security policy. Consisting of the Louisiana Army National Guard, a reserve component of the United States Army; ...
, emerged as his chief opponent for the Democratic nomination. Stubbs secured the support of the Democratic Party's old guard establishment, while Parker was supported by New Orleans good government reformers, Governor Pleasant, and former Governor Jared Y. Sanders. Parker ended up narrowly defeating Stubbs in the Democratic primary, 54-45%, and won the general election with 98% of the vote.


Parker's record as governor

In 1922, he sent the
Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
a message begging for help in fighting the
Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...
, which had grown so powerful in Louisiana that it not only controlled the northern half of the state but had kidnapped, tortured, and killed two people who opposed it.


Post-gubernatorial years

After his gubernatorial term ended, Parker devoted himself to his experimental farm at Bayou Sara near St. Francisville in
West Feliciana Parish West Feliciana Parish (French: ''Paroisse de Feliciana Ouest''; Spanish: ''Parroquia de West Feliciana'') is a civil parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2010 census, the population was 15,625, and 15,310 at the 2020 census. ...
. In June 1929, he was named president of the Constitutional League of Louisiana, which was organized at the St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans to "save the state from Huey Long".
State Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...
Norris C. Williamson Norris Charles Craft Williamson (July 31, 1874 – 1949) was a Democrat who served from 1924 to 1932 in the Louisiana State Senate. A resident of Lake Providence, Williamson represented the delta parishes: Tensas, Madison, East Carroll, and C ...
of East Carroll Parish became the vice-president of the 300-member group.
Huey P. Long, Jr. Huey Pierce Long Jr. (August 30, 1893September 10, 1935), nicknamed "the Kingfish", was an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and as a United States senator from 1932 until his assassination ...
, ''Every Man a King: The Autobiography of Huey P. Long'' ( New Orleans: National Book Club, Inc., 1933), p. 183.
Parker died in 1939 at the age of seventy-six in Pass Christian, Mississippi, east of New Orleans. He is interred at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans. The 12,000-seat John M. Parker Agricultural Coliseum on the LSU campus is named in his honor.


World War I

Roosevelt selected Parker as one of eighteen officers (others included
Seth Bullock Seth Bullock (July 23, 1849 – September 23, 1919) was a Canadian-American frontiersman, business proprietor, politician, sheriff, and U.S. Marshal. He was a prominent citizen in Deadwood, South Dakota, where he lived from 1876 until his death, ...
, Frederick Russell Burnham, and
James Rudolph Garfield James Rudolph Garfield (October 17, 1865 – March 24, 1950) was an American lawyer and politician. Garfield was a son of President James A. Garfield and First Lady Lucretia Garfield. He served as Secretary of the Interior during President Th ...
) to raise a volunteer infantry division, Roosevelt's World War I volunteers, for service in France in 1917. The U.S. Congress gave Roosevelt the authority to raise up to four divisions similar to the '' Rough Riders'' of the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry Regiment and to the British Army
25th (Frontiersmen) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers The 25th (Frontiersmen) Service Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a British Army unit that served during World War I. It was raised by the Legion of Frontiersmen. The battalion served in the African Theatre of the war from ...
; however, as commander-in-chief, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson refused to make use of the volunteers, and the unit hence disbanded.


References


Sources

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Notes


Political Graveyard

State of Louisiana – Biography


External links


Cemetery Memorial
by La-Cemeteries *
John M. Parker Papers
a
The Historic New Orleans Collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, John Milliken Democratic Party governors of Louisiana 1863 births 1939 deaths Eastman Business College alumni Farmers from Louisiana Businesspeople from Louisiana Politicians from New Orleans American Presbyterians People from Washington, Louisiana People from St. Francisville, Louisiana Louisiana Progressives (1912) Huey Long Burials at Metairie Cemetery