Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Mike Parker
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
- Michael Leigh Parker, Sr.
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1947-2019
History
Mike Parker was born in Renton, Washington on May 23, 1947. He became the youngest legislator in Washington state history when he was elected to the State House of Representatives at age 26. He ran for U.S. Congress in 1976, but lost to fellow Democrat Norm Dicks in the primary. The following year, he launched his mayoral campaign. On November 8, 1977, he defeated state senator Lorraine Wojahn to become the youngest Mayor ever elected in Tacoma at age 30. Parker is most known for his role in developing plans and gathering support for the Tacoma Dome. He also played a key role in establishing a Tacoma Police Department motorcycle fleet and successfully lobbying the state Department of Transportation to include Tacoma in signage and branding for the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. After his term as Mayor, he ran to become the first Pierce County Executive, but lost to Booth Gardner. He went on to pursue a career in the broadcast industry. At the time of his death in 2019, he was survived by his wife Maria and children Michael, Jr. Jeffrey, David, Dianna, and Sara along with seven grandchildren.
Places
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Functions, occupations and activities
Washington State Legislature Representative (1972-1976) (1)
Mayor of Tacoma (1978-1982)
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Internal structures/genealogy
General context
Relationships area
Access points area
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Occupations
Control area
Authority record identifier
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Rules and/or conventions used
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Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Written by Anna Trammell, 2021
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
"Tacoma's youngest major and the man who put the T-Dome where it is has died," The News Tribune, November 25, 2019.
House Journal of the Forty-Third Legislature of the State of Washington p. 4, House Journal of the Forty-Fourth Legislature of the State of Washington p. 2.