James Vanderburgh Parker (December 15, 1830 – January 11, 1917) was an American heir and social leader who was prominent in New York society during the Gilded Age.
"[1] Parker, a "fashionable bachelor of Mrs. Astor's entourage", who never married,[1] inherited a large share of the fortune which has enabled him to be a lifelong man of leisure.
[7] Parker was noted as a "wit and a linguist" with a striking personal appearance due to his tall, military bearing and white hair.
[8] In 1897, he publicly challenged the Newport Assessors to "come into court and show before a Judge that their valuation is fair and reasonable" as he felt the tax assessment was overvalued.
[8] Parker died at his home, 253 Madison Avenue in New York City, on January 11, 1917, at the age of 86,[2] leaving an estate worth $2,000,000.