John M. Parker

John Milliken Parker ( born March 16, 1863 in Bethel Church, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, Mississippi now, † May 22 1939 in New Orleans, Louisiana ) was an American politician and cotton dealer.

Early years and political rise

John Parker attended the Chamberlain Hunt Academy, the Belle View Academy and the Eastman Business School. Then he went into the cotton business of his father, of which he was in 1893. Soon he was a member of several trade associations and was president of the Cotton Exchange of New Orleans. During World War II, he was head of the Food Administration (Food Administrator) in Louisiana on behalf of the federal government.

Parker first joined, founded by Theodore Roosevelt short-lived Progressive Party. As the candidate he applied unsuccessfully in 1916 for the office of governor of Louisiana. In the same year he should be a candidate for the vice-presidency of the party. But this did not happen, because Roosevelt turned back to the Republicans and the party was more or less dissolved or merged into the Republican Party. Parker was then a member of the Democratic Party, which nominated him in 1920 as a candidate for the gubernatorial elections.

Governor of Louisiana

After he was elected by the people on April 20, 1920, Parker was able to take up his new post on May 17 this year. In his four-year tenure, many new roads in Louisiana, were built mainly in rural areas. These were still predominantly gravel roads. At that time there were hardly any paved roads in the state. Simultaneously, the Louisiana State University was established. These projects were financed with the help of tax increases. The farmers then received government support. In 1921 a new constitution for Louisiana was adopted.

A major problem presented to the activities of the Ku Klux Klan dar. The Klan ruled some parts of the state and also not deterred from violence back. The governor asked for help from the federal government to get this problem under control. Governor Parker also supported environmental protection, which was the exception rather than the rule in those days. The governor was also an intra-party opponent of the mighty Huey Long and his party organization in New Orleans. Parker's efforts to improve the education system, however, had no effect, because the necessary budgetary resources were not available or because Parker refused for reasons of economy, to increase the budget accordingly. Due to a constitutional provision he was not allowed to stand for reelection in 1924. Therefore, he resigned from his post on 19 May this year.

After the end of his governorship was devoted to Parker his farm on which he tested experimental forms of agriculture. Later he was with the former governors Jared Y. Sanders and Ruffin Pleasant one of the main opponents of Huey Long. John Parker died in May 1939. Together with his wife Cecile Airey he had three children.