The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Parker, Francis Wayland

PARKER, Francis Wayland, American educator: b. Bedford. N. H., 9 Oct. 1837; d. 1902. He was educated in the public schools and taught until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he enlisted and served until its conclusion, rising to the rank of colonel of volunteers. He was again engaged in teaching until 1872, when he went to the University of Berlin for special study in pedagogy, philosophy and psychology. He was later superintendent of schools at Quincy, Mass., and at Boston, and was principal of the Normal School, Cook County, Ill. He wrote a number of textbooks, some of which ran into many editions. Among them are ‘Talks on Teaching’ (1883); ‘The Practical Teacher’ (1884); ‘Course in Arithmetic’ (1884); ‘How to Teach Geography’ (1885); ‘How to Study Geography’ (1889), etc.