White Parker facts for kids

White Parker (born in 1887, died in 1956) was an important person in the Comanche tribe. He was the son of Quanah Parker, who was a famous Comanche chief. White Parker married Laura E. Clark (1890-1962). Her parents were Reverend and Mrs. M. A. Clark, who were Methodist missionaries to the Comanches. White and Laura had at least three children: Patty Bertha, Cynthia Ann Joy, and Milton Quanah (1914-1930).

White Parker's Missionary Work

White Parker worked as a Christian missionary among the Comanche people. A missionary is someone who travels to share their religious beliefs. He studied to become a minister at Cook Bible School in Phoenix, Arizona.

After finishing school, Parker joined the Methodist Conference. In the 1920s and 1930s, White and Laura Parker were very active. They helped with Saturday afternoon street meetings in Lawton, Oklahoma. These meetings were led by Reverend J. Leighton Read.

White Parker had a mix of religious experiences. His father, Quanah Parker, was a leader in the Native American Church. The Parker family also started the first non-Catholic church for the Comanche in Texas. White Parker went to a Presbyterian/Reformed school. But he joined the Methodists because there wasn't a Reformed missionary job available for him.

White Parker's Acting Career

In 1920, White Parker starred in a silent movie called The Daughter of Dawn. A silent film is a movie without spoken dialogue. This film was directed by Norbert A. Myles. It was filmed in the Wichita Mountains of Southwest Oklahoma.

The movie's story was about love, battles, and dances. It featured an all-Indian cast of 300 Kiowa and Comanche actors. The film ends happily. This movie is very important in American cinema history. It was the first full-length movie about an American Indian story. It was also the first to use only American Indian actors. The Oklahoma Historical Society has restored and digitized this film.

Later Life and Legacy

White Parker and his wife, Laura, are buried together. Their graves are in the Highland Cemetery in Lawton, Comanche County, Oklahoma.