John Walter Parker, Jr.

John Walter Parker Jr was the first African-American Head of General Surgery in the US Air Force. He was born in 1921 and got his medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennesee. Parker was part of the cultural movement during WWII that paved the way by show of talent for many other African American doctors, including his brother.Castoro, Laura. Personal Interview. 5 May 2008.]

Family

Parker's father's parents were born into slavery, and so was his mother's grandmother.

Parker's father was John Walter Parker Sr. He was born in Brenham, Texas, in 1879 and went to North Western University in Illinois in 1904. He was a dentist.

His mother was Anna Mae Robinson, who was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, in 1893.

Parker was the eldest of three boys. His brothers were David Edward Parker (a dentist) and Raymond Everette Parker (a sience teacher).

Early life

John Parker was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and went to school there at J.C. Corbin Elementary and High School. This was a private school on the campus of A. M. N. College in Pine Bluff, which was an African-American school. He was the valedictorian of his class, and played basketball in high school.

His first job was as a newspaper boy. He was also a boy scout, and made it up to the Eagle Scout rank, which is the highest. He taught himself to swim by reading a book about swimming, and also taught himself how to sail and write poetry.

Education and career

He went to Fisk University in Nashville, Tennesee for college, and then to medical school at MeHarry Medical School, also in Nashville.

During WWII, men were being drafted out of medical school to serve in the army. Parker was one of these people. He was part of the first group of black surgeons to be trained by the air force. However, he never did anything half way: he became the first African-American Head of General Surgery in the US Air Force.After leaving the Air Force, in his later years, he taught general surgery at the Columbia University in New York City. At the same time, he was Chief of the Service of Surgical Interns at Harlem Hospital. Yet again, he did not go half way: not only did he perform surgery, he taught it, too.

Although he worked in Harlem, Parker lived in Brooklyn, a different NYC neighborhood.

References