Senator Addison Melvin Parker View All Years

ADDISON M. PARKER

MR. PRESIDENT: Your committee, appointed to prepare suitable resolutions commemorating the life, character and public service of the late Honorable Addison M. Parker of Des Moines, Iowa, begs leave to submit the following:

Mr. Parker was born on a farm near Guthrie Center, Iowa, on September 30, 1878. He died at his home in Des Moines on October 12, 1945, at the age of sixty-seven.

His father and mother had come to Iowa from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, in 1873. In 1896 at the age of eighteen Mr. Parker came to Des Moines and lived with John M. Day, whose home was located directly across Grand Avenue, south of where the State Historical Building now stands. The residence was torn down during the improvement of the capitol grounds. He attended East High School in Des Moines, from which he was graduated in 1898. Registering in the law college at Drake University Mr. Parker received his degree from that institution in 1903. During all of this time he was in charge of the John M. Day real estate and mortgage office in Des Moines. Mr. Parker engaged in the active practice of law in Des Moines until 1918. He was married on June 22, 1912, to Ida Louise Lange.

At the general election in 1914 Mr. Parker was elected on the Republican ticket to represent Polk county in the State Senate. As such he served during the Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventh General Assemblies, and was re-elected for a second term, serving in the Thirty-eighth, Thirty­eighth Extra and Thirty-ninth sessions. During such General Assembly he was particularly interested in all progressive legislation. He served on the corporations, judiciary, railroads, cities and towns, public health, public utilities and mines and mining committees. He was always considered a “good roads” man and also one who was interested in public welfare and support for public libraries. He served and was active during the Thirty-eighth Extra Session of the General Assembly that convened in July, 1919, and ratified the woman’s suffrage amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

He presided over the deliberations of the Senate many times.

While at the bar in Des Moines Senator Parker was considered an expert in the field of coal leases and was once a partner in a large operating firm. In more recent years he was a specialist on the law of cooperative enterprises and was counsel for Des Moines Cooperative Dairy, Grocers Wholesale Cooperative and numerous dairy associations.

Gifted as an essayist Mr. Parker wrote numerous articles and studies on historical and political subjects. He possessed a very lucid style with a direct approach to his subject. His choice of language was always accurate and descriptive and the crispness of his sentence structure always characterized his efforts. He was very fond of writing letters and often before an election would conduct his own type of poll among his friends to get the sense of their political thinking.

Mr. Parker had a clear analytical mind and one that was free from prejudice. He was always ready to express his keen interest in anything that was for the best interests of the nation, state and city and was never afraid to express his convictions.

On his death Mr. Parker was survived by his wife, two sons, Addison M. Parker, Jr., and Paul L. Parker, and a daughter, Mrs. H. Telfer Mook.

Therefore, Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Fifty-second General Assembly of the State of Iowa, That in the passing of Addison M. Parker this state mourns the loss of a gifted and talented citizen, a man free of bigotry, a man of friendship and ability and that by this resolution the Senate extends its most sincere sympathy to each and all of the members of his family.

Be It Further Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be spread upon the Journal of the Senate and that the Secretary be directed to forward an enrolled copy to the members of the family of the deceased.

GEORGE FAUL,

TUNIS H. KLEIN,

AI MILLER,

Committee.