He graduated with an engineering degree from the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul and moved to Los Angeles in 1894 to engage in the real-estate business; he was married to Edith McGinty of that city the same year.

[1] Sparks entered the office of the County Clerk as deputy in charge of the marriage-license division in December 1912 and there was given the nickname "Cupid" during his tenure.

[2] Tension with Clerk Lampton began as Sparks refused to publish news of marriage licenses being issued to movie stars.

Sparks also operated an informal matchmaking service from "having received thousands of letters from lonely men and women asking for his assistance in securing mates."

Sparks was out of the council for two years, but in 1925 he returned as the first person to represent the 5th District under the new city charter, which replaced the former at-large election system with one based on single-member constituencies.

In 1925, the 5th District was bounded by Washington Street on the north, the city limits on the east, Exposition Boulevard on the south and Vermont Avenue on the west.

[7] He ran again in the 1927 election but this time he was linked to the unpopular mayoral administration of George E. Cryer,[8] and he was soundly defeated in the final round by Virgil A. Martin, 7,843-2,889.

"[10] One of the first controversial votes cast by Sparks was in opposition to a proposal by religious groups for a seven-member commission to regulate the showing of motion pictures in Los Angeles.

He said he was "flatly opposed" to censorship,[11] and the idea was eventually killed by the City Council amid a storm of protests by both sides.