Parks, Lyman S. (Lyman Starling), 1917-2009

<b>Rev Lyman Starling Parks</b><br>
<b>BIRTH</b> 12 Mar 1917<br>
Gibson County, Indiana, USA<br>
<b>DEATH</b> 4 Nov 2009 (aged 92)<br>
Cook County, Illinois, USA<br>
<b>BURIAL</b>
Crown Point Cemetery<br>
Kokomo, Howard County, Indiana, USA

<p>Rev. Lyman S. Parks (1917 – November 4, 2009) was the mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan from 1971 to 1976. He was the first African-American to serve in the position. He was also the first African-American elected to the Grand Rapids City Commission in 1968. Recognizing his contributions to the city of Grand Rapids, a statue in his honor was dedicated in 2013 in front of the Grand Rapids City Hall.</p>

<p>Parks grew up in southern Indiana at Lyles Station. He graduated in 1944 from Wilberforce University and Payne Theological Seminary.</p>

<p>He served as pastor to congregations in Marion, Indiana; Richmond, Indiana; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and River Rouge, Michigan. He moved to Grand Rapids in 1966, where he took a position as pastor of First Community AME Church. During his tenure at First Community A.M.E. he grew the church membership and mentored many who continued on into future ministry roles. Supportive of families, Rev. Parks encouraged parents to bring their children to church and participate in the many activities of the church. His sermons were both informative and effective in inspiring people to be involved in the life of their communities. After retiring from First Community A.M.E Church, he was asked to return as pastor of Greater Institutional AME Church in Chicago where he concluded his pastoral career.</p>

<p>Lyman Parks was born in Princeton, Indiana on March 12, 1917. From 1936 through 1944, Parks attended first, Indiana State Teachers College, and then, Wilberforce University where he received his bachelor of arts degree (1944). Parks also attended Payne Theological Seminary.</p>

<p>After leaving Payne, Rev. Parks became pastor of the A.M.E. Church in Marion, Indiana. He followed this with pastorates in Richmond, Indian in 1947, Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1952, and River Rouge, Michigan in 1964. In 1966, Rev. Parks moved to Grand Rapids to become past of the A.M.E. First Community Church.</p>

<p>While in Grand Rapids, Lyman Parks first sought political office. In 1968, he ran for and was elected Third Ward Commissioner. Then in 1971, following the resignation of Robert Boelens as mayor, the Grand Rapids city commission appointed Parks to be acting mayor.</p>

<p>In 1973, after nearly two years of service in this position, Parks decided to campaign for the office of mayor on a permanent basis. In the election, he narrowly defeated his opponent Robert Boelens. In 1975, he lost his chance for re-election by losing in the city's primary.</p>

<p>Lyman S. Parks was the first African American mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving in the role from 1971 to 1976.</p>

<p>Lyman S. Parks was born in 1917, although the details of his birth and childhood are unknown. He grew up in southern Indiana and in 1944 graduated from Wilberforce University and Payne Theological Seminary. That same year, he began working as a minister at the Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopalian (AME) Church in Kokomo, Indiana. For the next twenty years, Parks served as a pastor in various churches throughout Indiana and in Ann Arbor, Michigan.</p>

<p>In 1966 Parks moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan to serve as a pastor at the First Community AME Church. In 1968, he ran to become the representative for the Third Ward on the Grand Rapids City Commission. He won the position by over a thousand votes, largely through the support of his congregation, and became the first black commissioner in the city’s history.</p>