Samuel Leslie Arthur Parker was born on 18 December 1906 in Sparta, Tennessee. His parents were Samuel Leslie Parker and Mary Fitz Allen Cantrell.
The 1910 U.S. Census shows 3-year-old Sam living with his family in Sparta, Tennessee.[1] The household consists of his parents, Samuel and Mary (ages 31 and 29 respectively), 3 older siblings (Pauline, age 9; Martha, age 8; Fred, age 7), and an uncle: Robert B. Cantrell, age 20. His father is listed as the town's Postmaster.
By 1920, the family had relocated to Chattanooga. That year's census record lists Samuel Parker, Jr (age 13) living at 5 Magnolia Street with his parents and five siblings: Pauline (age 19), Martha (age 17), Fred (age 16), Mary (age 9), and Thomas (age 3).[2] His father is listed working as a Secretary for a Retail Electric Store, and his two oldest sisters are listed as a Stenographer and School Teacher respectively.
Sam enlisted in the U.S. Navy in about 1923 and was assigned to the U.S.S. Maryland, which was stationed in Hawaii.[3] When his ship was sent to Australia, he requested and received a transfer to the U.S.S. John D. Ford, which patrolled the South China Sea during the Chinese Civil War between 1926 and 1927. He was honorably discharged in September 1927.[4]
The 1930 U.S. Census shows Sam Parker living with his eldest sister and her family at 102 Cotoille Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee.[5] He is described as 24 years old, single, and working as a heating supplies salesman. He was also producing shows for the city's WDOD radio station (AM 1280).[3] He later moved to Columbus, Ohio to work for WCOL and WBNS before accepting an announcer position at WIOD (AM 610) in Miami, Florida in around 1936.[6]
In 1939, he was chosen to be the voice and body model for the title character Lemuel Gulliver in Fleischer Studios' feature film "Gulliver's Travels".[7][8] His performance was captured using Max Fleischer's ground-breaking "rotoscoping" technique. The movie was released on 22 December 1939 and earned more than $3.27 million USD in its domestic run (equivalent of about $107 million in 2021 adjusting for inflation and modern ticket prices).[9] The following year, he collaborated with Fleischer Studios again on a cartoon called "The Fowl Ball Player".[10]
The 1940 U.S. Census enumerates Samuel A. Parker (age 33) living at the Sherman Hotel in Miami, Florida.[11][12]
Sam Parker continued his work at WIOD[13][14][15] and lent his voice to at least three more Fleicher cartoons through the early 1940s.[16]
He died on 30 March 1986 in Mount Dora, Florida, at the age of 79.[17][18][19] He is buried in his family's plot at Mount Gilead Cemetery, White County, Tennessee.[20]
Research Notes
Not to be confused withSamuel L. Parker (1906-1986) of Johnson City, Tennessee; son of Samuel L Parker and Mary Ellen Agee.
One newspaper article claims that after he left the Navy, he "returned to his first love, the theater" by working with Major Bowes' Capitol Family shows up until he left to produce his own shows in 1930. From what I can tell, Edward Bowes (1874-1946) produced his Capitol Family Theater hour (which preceded his Major Bowes' Amateur Hour) from New York City and had a list of recurring cast members, but Sam Parker's name isn't on it. Perhaps he did other non-acting technical work behind the scenes. - Freeth-52 03:03, 6 January 2022 (UTC)
Sam Parker's exact whereabouts after 1943 are unclear. His mother's 1951 obituary indicates that he was still living in Miami as of that year; and in 1968, his sister Mary Parker Woodward's obituary lists him residing in New York City. According to his own obituary, he moved to Mt. Dora from Eustis, Florida in 1984. - Freeth-52 12:06, 6 January 2022 (UTC)
He appears to have never married, although it's not clear from the available sources. Perhaps one of his family members will weigh in. - Freeth-52 12:06, 6 January 2022 (UTC)
Sources
↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGNV-WWT : accessed 5 January 2022), Samuel A Parker in household of Samuel L Parker, Sparta, White, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 187, sheet 8B, family 169, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1526; FHL microfilm 1,375,539.
↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SP44-PNM : accessed 6 January 2022), Sam Parker in household of John B Kirkpatrick, Chattanooga, Hamilton, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 88, sheet 14A, line 41, family 318, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2252; FHL microfilm 2,341,986.
↑ Estimated based on his earliest reported appearance at WIOD Miami.
↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VTZF-Z3F : 4 January 2021), Samuel A Parker, Miami, Miami-Dade, Florida, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 69-78, sheet 81A, line 10, family , Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 631.
↑ "Florida, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2CP-K53C : 2 March 2020), Samuel Leslie Arthur Parker, 16 Oct 1940; records extracted by FamilySearch and images digitized by Ancestry; citing Miami Beach, Dade, Florida, United States, Draft Registration, NARA NAID 7644725. Records of the Selective Service System, 1926 - 1975, RG 147. National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri, n.d.
↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VSYM-DPY : 8 January 2021), Samuel Parker, Mar 1986; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
↑ "Florida Death Index, 1877-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VVX2-LVY : 25 December 2014), Samuel Arthur Parker, 30 Mar 1986; from "Florida Death Index, 1877-1998," index, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : 2004); citing vol. , certificate number 29268, Florida Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, Jacksonville.
↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29379129/samuel-arthur-parker : accessed 06 January 2022), memorial page for Samuel Arthur Parker (30 Oct 1906–30 Mar 1986), Find a Grave Memorial ID 29379129, citing Mount Gilead Cemetery, White County, Tennessee, USA ; Maintained by Reba Bain (contributor 46851099) .
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Samuel by comparing test results with other carriers of his ancestors' Y-chromosome or mitochondrial DNA.
However, there are no known yDNA or mtDNA test-takers in his direct paternal or maternal line.
It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Samuel: