After serving in World War II as a U.S. Army sergeant, he earned a bachelor's degree in public administration from American University.
In 1947, Parker became a career Foreign Service Officer, serving in Liberia, Nigeria, and Spain.
[3] On a year's leave, he enrolled in the African Studies Program at Boston University.
[4] Parker later served in Douala and Yaoundé, Cameroon, where he was consul general and later deputy chief of mission.
His last overseas assignment was in La Paz, Bolivia, where he was again deputy chief of mission and chargé d'affaires.