Marshall Parker

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Marshall Joyner Parker (born April 25, 1922) is a retired American Republican politician from South Carolina. Born in Seaboard, North Carolina, he graduated from the University of North Carolina. In his first year of college, Mr. Parker was awarded with the Freshmen Athlete of the Year Award. Later, he would go on to letter in boxing and football. Immediately following graduation, Mr. Parker entered into the US Marine Corps serving in the Pacific Theatre during World War II.

After World War II, he moved to Seneca, South Carolina. His political career began in Oconee County, South Carolina where he served on the Seneca City Council and the County Board of School Trustees. He would eventually go on to be elected to the South Carolina Senate, serving as the senator from Oconee County (where his hometown, Seneca, is located). He was a State Senator from 1955 to 1965.

He is probably best remembered for his efforts to become the first elected Republican U.S. Senator (Senator Strom Thurmond won the 1962 senate election running as a Democrat, in 1964 he switched to the Republican Party) from South Carolina since Reconstruction. That endeavor was attempted during the Special Election of 1966, which followed the death of Senator Olin D. Johnston (Dem. SC). In that election, Mr. Parker (Rep. SC) challenged Governor Ernest Hollings (Dem. SC), who ended up winning the election in a very narrow race. Two years later, then U.S. Senator Hollings (Dem. SC) would go on to defeat Marshall Parker (Rep. SC) in the regularly scheduled 1968 senate election by a comfortable margin.

The U.S. Senate defeats notwithstanding, Marshall Parker remained committed to the newly invigorated South Carolina Republican Party, and the National Republican Party. In later years, Marshall Parker would accept offers to serve as a member of the senior leadership at the Small Business Administration (better known as the SBA) under Presidents Ford and Reagan.

Following his years of public service, Marshall Parker retired to his farm in Oconee County, South Carolina where he began his new career raising beef cattle. Mr. Parker is always accompanied by his life companion and beautiful wife, Martha Parker. Together they have three daughters, nine grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and an old Ford Tractor.