Joel Parker

Joel Parker

Joel Parker (born November 24, 1816 in Freehold , Monmouth County , New Jersey , †  January 2, 1888 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ) was an American politician and between 1863 and 1875 two-time governor of the state of New Jersey.

Early years and political advancement

Joel Parker attended Princeton University until 1839 . After completing a law degree, he was admitted to the bar in 1842. Parker then began practicing law in his hometown of Freehold. Politically, he became a member of the Democratic Party . Between 1847 and 1851 he was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly and from 1852 to 1857 district attorney in Monmouth County. In the same year he became a member of the militia, in which he rose to major general. He was also involved in the then undertaken reform of this military establishment. In the presidential election of 1860 he was one of Stephen A. Douglas' electors . On November 4, 1862, Parker was elected governor of his state.

Governor of New Jersey

Parker took up his new office on January 20, 1863. At this point the Civil War was in full swing. Parker supported the federal government's war effort, but also criticized the policies of President Abraham Lincoln and his Republican Party . In 1865 the war ended and the economy in New Jersey had to be cut back to meet civilian needs. The returning soldiers had to be reintegrated into society and the disabled and the bereaved relatives of the dead had to be looked after. Parker's tenure ended on January 16, 1866. On November 7, 1871, however, he was re-elected to the highest office in New Jersey. Parker's second term began on January 16, 1872 and ended on January 19, 1875.

Another résumé

After his governorship ended, Parker returned to practice as a lawyer. In 1868 and 1876, Parker was brought up for discussion by his party friends from New Jersey as the Democratic presidential candidate. In 1875 he was briefly attorney general for his state. Between 1880 and his death on January 2, 1888, he was a member of the Supreme Court of his state. Governor Parker had three children with his wife, Maria M. Gummere.

Web links

• Joel Parker at the National Governors Association (English)
• Joel Parker in the database of Find a Grave (English)