Paul Parks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Parks
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|---|---|
| Massachusetts Secretary of Education | |
| In office 1975–1979 |
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| Governor | Michael Dukakis |
| Preceded by | Joseph M. Cronin |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 7, 1923 Indianapolis, Indiana, United States |
| Died | August 1, 2009 (aged 86) Mattapan, Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouses | Dorothy Alexander (m. 1947) Virginia Loftman (1972-2009) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents | Cleab (father) Hazel (mother) |
| Alma mater | Purdue University Northeastern University |
| Occupation | Civil engineer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1943-1945 |
| Rank | Combat Engineer |
| Unit | 365th Quartermaster Corps |
Paul Parks (May 7, 1923 – August 1, 2009) was an American civil engineer. He was a very important person who worked to make schools fair for everyone. Paul Parks became the first African American Secretary of Education for the state of Massachusetts. He was chosen by Governor Michael Dukakis and served from 1975 to 1979. Later, Mayor Raymond Flynn also appointed him to the Boston School Committee, where he was again the first African American.
Parks was a brave soldier during World War II. He was a combat engineer and took part in the Normandy landings on Omaha Beach. After the war, he became well-known for his efforts to end segregation in Boston's public schools. Segregation meant that black and white students went to separate schools. Paul Parks worked hard to bring them together. He helped run the Boston Model City program, which used money from the government to improve parts of Boston and help people find jobs. He also helped create METCO, a program that used buses to help black students attend mostly white schools, making education more equal for everyone.
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Early Life and School
Paul Parks's father, Cleab, was a veteran of World War I. His mother, Hazel, was a social worker. Paul grew up in Indianapolis, where schools were separated by race. He went to Crispus Attucks High School, which was an all-black school.
In 1941, Paul won a $4,000 scholarship from an oratory (public speaking) contest. This money helped him go to Purdue University. He was studying to become a civil engineer. In 1942, his studies were paused when he was called to serve in World War II. After the war, he used the G.I. Bill to finish his engineering degree at Purdue. Later, he earned a higher degree in engineering from Northeastern University after moving to Boston.
Paul Parks's Career
Military Service in World War II
Paul Parks joined the United States Army in 1942. He was sent to Europe in 1943 as a combat engineer during World War II. His job was often to find and remove dangerous mines. On June 6, 1944, known as D-Day, the Allied Forces invaded the coast of Normandy. Paul Parks was there on Omaha Beach during this important event.
In 1945, Paul Parks also helped with the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp. This was a very difficult task, as he had to help identify and bury bodies. After his service in Europe, he was sent to the Pacific to help in the liberation of the Philippines. He served until 1945.
Working as a Civil Engineer
After leaving the military, Paul Parks started his career as an engineer. From 1949 to 1951, he helped plan and design new highways in Indiana. Then he moved to Boston. He worked for companies like Stone and Webster, where he helped design dams and power plants. He also helped design parts of the New Jersey Garden State Parkway.
Later, he worked on designing missiles and doing research in nuclear engineering. In 1957, Paul Parks co-founded his own architectural firm called Associated Architects and Engineer with another African-American, Henry Boles. They designed schools, churches, and even a large hospital. The firm closed in 1967.
Paul Parks's engineering skills also took him around the world. In 1967, he traveled to West Africa, visiting countries like Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Nigeria. He helped with housing projects there. In 1968, the Israeli government invited him to be a consultant for their public systems, including education and housing.
Public Service and Civil Rights
Paul Parks is especially remembered for his work to end segregation in Boston's public schools. In 1974, Governor-elect Michael Dukakis appointed him as Massachusetts's Secretary of Educational Affairs. Paul Parks was the first African American to be part of Governor Dukakis's team.
As Secretary of Educational Affairs, Paul Parks also led the Boston Model City Program. The main goal of this program was to desegregate Boston schools and use busing to achieve this. Busing meant transporting students to different schools to create a more diverse student body. Paul Parks worked hard to address the problems that came up with these busing programs. Later, he became the chairman of the Boston School Committee.
Paul Parks was also the Chairman of the NAACP Education Committee. He saw that many areas in Boston had serious economic problems, with high unemployment. He fought to keep funding for the Model City Program, explaining how important it was for the community. This program used federal money to help thousands of people in neighborhoods like Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, and Roxbury.
In 1964, Paul Parks was part of the Massachusetts State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. They found clear evidence that Boston public schools were segregated. They saw that black schools had much lower reading scores than all-white schools. School leaders claimed that education was "separate but equal," but the evidence showed this was not true.
A group called the Kiernan Commission also studied Boston schools in 1964. They confirmed that at least 32 schools had unequal education. Even with all this proof, the Boston School Committee rejected the findings. So, in 1965, Paul Parks and his committee started Operation Exodus. This program used buses to take black students to white schools outside their neighborhoods. Paul Parks also helped create the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO). This program further supported desegregation by encouraging black students to enroll in mostly white schools, helping to make Boston schools more diverse and fair for everyone.
Personal Life
Paul Parks had a mixed heritage, including African American, Muscogee, and Seminole roots. He married Dorothy Alexander on February 2, 1947. They had three children: Paul Jr., Pamela, and Stacy. In 1972, Paul Parks married Virginia Loftman. He passed away in 2009 from cancer.
