David Lecour Parker papers, 1947 -- 1948

Summary Information

Abstract

David Lecour Parker was a Union Theological Seminary alumnus and former secretary to UTS President Henry Pitney Van Dusen, as well as a Methodist minister who served congregations throughout New York and New Jersey, and an activist for civil rights and women's rights. The collection contains notes from Parker's UTS coursework from 1947 and 1948.

At a Glance

Bib ID:
11918965 View CLIO record
Creator(s):
Parker, David Lecour, 1923-2016
Repository:
Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary
Physical Description:
0.25 linear feet (0.25 linear feet; 1 box)
Language(s):
English .
Access:

This collection is open for research.

The following boxes are located offsite: Box 1. Please note that requests for use of boxes held in offsite storage must be made three business days in advance.

Description

Scope and Contents

This collection contains notebooks with course notes and research notes from Parker's time at Union Theological Seminary from 1947-1948. Included are notes from courses taken with major UTS figures such as Reinhold Niebuhr and John Bennett.

  • David Lecour Parker papers, 1947 -- 1948

    This series contains notebooks with course notes and research notes from Parker's time at Union Theological Seminary from 1947-1948. Included are notes from courses taken with major UTS figures such as Reinhold Niebuhr and John Bennett.

Burke Library record group:

Union Theological Seminary Archives: UTS 1, papers of faculty and students

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in one chronological series. Folder titles include course name or abbreviation and instructor name or abbreviation, as noted by the creator.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

The following boxes are located offsite: Box 1. Please note that requests for use of boxes held in offsite storage must be made three business days in advance.

Preferred Citation

Item description, UTS1: David Lecour Parker papers, 1947-1948, box #, folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.

Custodial History

Some material in this collection may be protected by copyright and other rights. Information concerning copyright, fair use, and reproduction requests can be consulted at Columbia's Copyright Advisory Office.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The David Lecour Parker Papers were donated to the Burke Library in March 2015.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary

Processing Information

Materials were placed in new acid-free folders and boxes. The finding aid was created by Kevin Windhauser and Rebecca Nieto in 2018 with the support of the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, and edited by Leah Edelman in 2020.

Revision Description

2020-10-31 PDF converted to EAD and description updated by Leah Edelman.

Biographical / Historical

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.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Name
Parker, David Lecour, 1923-2016 -- : Archives CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Subject
Clergy CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID