TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
one of six African Americans elected to a statewide office in the United States. As Connecticut State Treasurer, Brother Parker was sole fiduciary of the state’s $3.8 billion pension fund, and served as Bond Commissioner, Bank Commis- sioner and a member of the Financial Advisory Board. In a March 1978 feature article in Ebony ® Magazine on Parker, he noted, “I love this job… I’m in the seat of power and I understand what we’ve (Blacks) been closed out of for so many years.” Among his many achieve- ments as Treasurer was the creation of Yankee Mac, a $450 million home mortgage program helping the urban centers, and his chairmanship of the Governor’s Task Force on South Africa, a body that produced for Connecticut model anti-apartheid legislation, the first in the nation. As State Treasurer, he was instrumental in the adoption of a state holiday for Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. seven years prior to the creation of a na- tional holiday honoring the revered civil rights leader. In 1984, he became the first African American President of the National Association of State Treasur- ers (N.A.S.T.). In 1986, Parker stepped down as State Treasurer to join Atalanta Sosnoff Capital in New York, NY. He re- tired from the financial services industry. In 1980, Parker served as the keynote speaker at the Public Meeting of the 63 rd Grand Chapter Meeting held in Atlanta, GA. In 1981, the 23 rd Grand Polemarch Oliver Gumbs spearheaded the establishment of the Kappa Alpha Psi ® Foundation which is the philan- thropic entity of the fraternity with Parker serving as its first president. Grand Polemarch Gumbs commented at the time, “For the energy, enthusiasm, and leadership demonstrated in a very short time frame, this Fraternity is very fortunate to have Hank Parker for presi- dent of its Foundation.” Parker, along with Grand Polemarch Gumbs and other brothers, became incorporators of the new foundation creating a vital
philanthropic and fundraising vehicle for the fraternity that remains to this day. Parker served as president of the Kappa Foundation until 1987. A Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi®, Parker also was a longtime member of the New Haven (CT) branch of the N.A.A.C.P. and received the branch’s first Lifetime Achievement Award and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award. Ebony® Magazine included Parker ten times in its annual 100 Most Influential African Americans feature article. Other awards and honors include the Greater New Business and Profes- sional Men’s Association award and the
Bicentennial Award from the Prince Hall Masons. Brother Parker is preceded in death by son, Curtis Hasan; sisters, Thelma Parker Wiley, Bettye Parker Ford, Florence Parker Monroe, and brother, Jerome Parker. He is survived by his wife of fifty-nine years, Janette (Jan) and his daughter Janet, sister, Peggy Parker Ammons; his grandson Troy Brown, a great grandson, Daniel Brown and a host of relatives, friends, colleagues and constituents.
Publishing achievement for 105 years
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