Chester West (C.W.) Parker is the namesake of Waynesville R-VI School District’s Parker Fine Arts building located on the Middle School campus.
Image via Ancestry.com user Joyce Connolly
1. In 1921, at the age of 19, Parker was the principal of an elementary school in the Picher, Oklahoma mining district. He also served as principal at Licking, MO High School. Parker served as Superintendent of Schools at Conway (MO.), Ozark (MO.), Ava (MO.), and Waynesville during an administrative career that spanned 44 years.
2. Parker served as Mayor of Waynesville, Missouri for six years.
3. Parker was a published author and wrote “countless newspaper articles.”
4. Parker was quite the good-natured prankster and is fondly remembered by Waynesvillians for his April Fools’ Day antics.
5. Parker married Kathleen Ezzsell in 1927 and they had three children. His son, Eddie Parker, is the inspiration for Paul Newman’s character “Fast Eddie” Felsen in the 1961 film The Hustler.
Sources:
http://pulaskicountyobits.blogspot.com/2017/03/chester-west-parker-1901-1998.html
Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, Arizona) 13 December 1990
History & Heroes: Five Fast Facts is an occasional series of interesting facts regarding namesakes and historical figures in Pulaski County, Missouri.
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