Franklin Parker

Franklin Parker was inducted into the inaugural College of Applied Human Sciences Hall of Fame in the fall of 2025. He was previously inducted into the College of Education and Human Services Hall of Fame in 2012.

Parker served as the Benedum Professor of Education at West Virginia University from 1968 until his retirement in 1986. An esteemed scholar in the history and philosophy of education, as well as comparative and international education, he was known for his prolific writing, distinguished teaching career, and global engagement in educational research and collaboration.

Before joining WVU, Parker taught at the State University of New York at New Paltz, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Oklahoma in Norman. After retiring from WVU, he continued to teach at Western Carolina University, where he was named Distinguished Visiting Professor, and later at Northern Arizona University.

Together with his wife, Betty Parker, he authored more than 50 books and over 200 journal articles and reviews. Their work included George Peabody, A Biography and Southern Rhodesia: A White Man’s Country? The Parkers were active participants in international educational conferences across Europe, Africa, and Asia, and contributed to the field through leadership roles in the History of Education Society and other academic organizations. Franklin Parker also served as president of both Kappa Delta Pi and Phi Delta Kappa honor societies and was a Fulbright Fellow studying education in southern Africa.

Parker passed away in 2023 at the age of 102.