 |
William James Parker
|
Business executive.
Born at Sanford on 6 February 1896, son of John Parker and Mary Rodgers, he graduated in 1921 with a BSc (Agriculture) from the University of Manitoba. During the First World War he served overseas with the Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Air Force. From 1928 to 1930 he was a Director of the Sanford Cooperative Elevator Association and, from 1930 to 1968, was on the Board of Directors of the Manitoba Pool Elevators, becoming its President in 1940 and continuing until his retirement in 1969. He was also President of Northern Canadian Seed Sales Limited and Pool Packers Limited.
He served on the Board of Governors of the University of Manitoba (1933-1950) and was its Chairman (1947-1950), and was on the Board of Trustees of the Winnipeg General Hospital and later the St. Boniface General Hospital. He was a Director of Canadian National Railways, Trans-Canada Airlines (now Air Canada), a member of the Board of Governors for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), and a member of the Advisory Committee to the Canadian Wheat Board (1955-1970). Following retirement in November 1969, he served on the Canada Grain Council and the Manitoba Hydro Electric Board.
He was a member of the Order of the British Empire (1946) and was inducted into the Order of Canada (1970), Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame (1974), and Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame (1978). He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Manitoba (1950). He was a member of the Manitoba Club, Niakwa Country Club, Wildwood Country Club, and United Church.
He died of a heart attack on 29 December 1971 and was buried in the Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens. He was living at 853 Ash Street at the time of his death.
See also:
Service at Cost: A History of Manitoba Pool Elevators, 1925-1975 by F. W. Hamilton, Saskatoon: Modern Press, 1975.
Birth registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.
“Pool chief retires,” Winnipeg Free Press, 13 November 1969.
“Ex-Pool Elevator chief dies at 75,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 December 1971, page 38.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 30 December 1971, page 23.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 22 April 2024
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
