詹姆斯·马吉·帕克

B.B.A. 1951

詹姆斯·马吉·帕克 was born April 30, 1930, in Roby, 德州, the second child to C. A. 还有尤娜·马吉·帕克. 全家搬到了利特菲尔德, 德州, when James was eight years old and then to Sweetwater, 德州, in 1940.

James began a career in the grocery business at the age of 11, when his mother encouraged him to go to work at a Sweetwater grocery store owned by Sam Glass.

He graduated from Sweetwater Newman High School in 1947 and enrolled that fall at Hardin-Simmons University. 在HSU读书的时候, James served as Student Council treasurer his senior year, 是B的成员吗.A. 俱乐部和牛仔竞技协会, served as vice president of Ferguson Hall Council, and was vice president of the Sweetwater Club. He graduated from HSU in 1951 with a Bachelor of Business 政府 degree.

James met his future wife, Cynthia Ann Pearson of Lamesa, his senior year on the HSU campus. 他们于1951年8月4日结婚.

The young couple moved back to Sweetwater where James restarted his career in the grocery business, 再次为谷歌工作. 他们的四个孩子, 吉米, 特里, 卡拉, 和佩吉, were born during this time in Sweetwater when James was moving up in his career. In 1953, he was named general manager of the Thrifty Store in Sweetwater, 1957年, 他成为了谷歌眼镜的商业伙伴, investing in Sunbeam Enterprises and Sam Glass Enterprises, 经营超级超级食品店, 公司.

The grocery store chain flourished and included 21 stores across the state at his height, using innovative and visionary marketing with service as a core value. 1974年格拉斯去世后, 詹姆斯成为了公司的总裁, 1984年, he sold the Super Duper stores to Furr Foods.

James then diversified his business into real estate and investments and continued his involvement in ranching and in civic affairs.

致力于为阿比林人创造更好的生活, James served on the First National Bank of Abilene Board of Directors from 1972 to 2004 and was the First Financial Bankshares Holding Company director from 1980 to 2004. He served on the Hendrick Medical Center Foundation and as chairman of the Hendrick Medical Center Development Corporation. He was also the president of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, and served on the Abilene Civic Center Advisory Board from 1975 to 1980, 从1987年到2000年, and West 德州 Rehab Center from 1991 to 1998. He served on the board of the Abilene 社区 Foundation in 1990.

他因他的服务和慈善事业而受到称赞, James received the Dyess Air Force Base Brave Shield Award in 1978, and he was the first recipient of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce Small Business Award in 1985. In 2005, James received from HSU the Keeter 校友 Service Award, the highest alumni honor Hardin-Simmons can bestow. 詹姆斯已经服完兵役了 母校 on the HSU Board of Development, the School of Music Foundation, and on the Board of Trustees. 作为哈佛大学董事会的领导, for several years he served as chairman of the Budget and Audit Committee and on the Executive Committee.

James and Cynthia created the Parker Endowed Scholarship for missionary students at HSU, 2002年辛西娅去世后, James established the Cynthia Ann Parker College of Liberal Arts.

James continued the legacy of his and Cynthia’s support of Hendrick Health Systems with a gift that was recognized by the naming of the James and Cynthia Parker Wing.

James serves as deacon at First Baptist Church of Abilene, where he and Cynthia became members in 1959. 詹姆斯住在阿比林, 除了他的四个孩子, has 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

It is the high honor of Hardin-Simmons University to recognize one of her own and to formally induct 詹姆斯·马吉·帕克 into the HSU 领袖堂.

We would like to thank the family and friends of James Parker for attending this event in his honor.