Nineteenth Century

1860

Reverend Henry W. Parker Speaks at Commencement

The Reverend Henry W. Parker, pastor of the North Congregational Church of New Bedford, MA, speaks at commencement.

Born in Ithaca, NY, where he lived until he was seventeen, Parker graduated from Amherst College and studied theology at Auburn, NY. His first pastorate was in Dansville, NY, followed by four years in Brooklyn, NY, where he founded the Central Congregational Church. He was called to the North Congregational Church in 1856.

Parker was one of the managers of the New Bedford Bible Society. On 28 December of 1862, Parker preached a sermon, “The Despised Race,” at the Salem Baptist Church, which was published in 1863. He studied science at Cambridge until 1865, and became a professor of chemistry and natural sciences at Iowa College.