David Lecour Parker papers, 1947 -- 1948

David Lecour Parker was born on December 20, 1923 in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up as part of a large family that lived, for most of his childhood, in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Parker studied at both Middlebury College and Hamilton College, although his graduation was delayed when he was drafted into the Army during the Second World War, and subsequently served as a member of the Army Signal Corps in Guam. Using the post-WWII G.I. Bill, Parker enrolled at Union Theological Seminary, where he studied under many Union luminaries, including Reinhold Niebuhr, Paul Tillich, and John C. Bennett. Parker further served for a time as secretary to Union's then-president, Henry Pitney Van Dusen. After graduating from Union, Parker became an ordained minister in the Methodist Church, which began a long and honored career serving churches throughout New York and New Jersey, in a total of 11 different congregations throughout his life. Parker also sponsored numerous German immigrant families in the United States, whom he housed in his own home, and was an early advocate and activist for women's rights, civil rights, and LGBT rights. Passionate about music since childhood, Parker became both a performer and a composer of religious music, writing numerous religious songs that he featured for his congregations. David Parker retired from active ministry after 54 years of service, and passed away peacefully on April 6, 2016.