Hugh Klemme Parker
(1894-1974)
Hugh Klemme Parker was born on April 11, 1894, in Fayette, Iowa, to James Donaldson Parker and Nellie Klemme His father was 26 years old at the time of his birth, and his mother was 23.
He married Elizabeth Margaret Buchanan on September 13, 1930, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Education and Scientific Career
Hugh graduated from Upper Iowa University in 1916 and taught at West Union High School from 1916 to 1917. With the onset of the First World War, he became involved in the Chemical Warfare Research Battalion, serving from 1917 to 1919.
He continued his studies at Johns Hopkins University, earning a Ph.D. in chemistry in 1921. He then began his professional career as a research chemist with Wallace & Tiernan in Belleville, New Jersey.
Hugh specialized in flour chemistry and played a leading role in the development and application of the “Agene Process” in Europe from 1923 to 1930. He later served as Assistant Director of the Novadel-Agene Corporation from 1930 to 1954. In 1954, he became Director of the Flour Research Laboratory, a position he held until his retirement in 1959.
Family Life
Hugh Klemme Parker and Elizabeth Margaret Buchanan had four children:
- Corinne Swift Parker (1931–1932)
- Hugh Klemme Parker Jr. (1931–2017)
- Claude Buchanan Parker (1935–2008)
- James Donaldson Parker Jr. (1937– )
Siblings
Hugh Klemme Parker had two siblings:
- Dorothy Lakin Parker (1896–1966)
- Eleanor Bolles Parker (1904–1988)
Later Years and Legacy
Hugh Klemme Parker died on September 11, 1974, in Montclair, New Jersey, at the age of 80. He was laid to rest in Grandview Cemetery in Fayette, Iowa.
His life reflects a distinguished career in scientific research and industrial chemistry, contributing to advancements in food science during a period of significant technological development.
