Photographs
Black History
Digital Objects ➔ Digital Photograph, Mayor Lyman Parks
Identifier:
2005.75.1.11Description:
This is a photograph of Grand Rapids Mayor Lyman Parks when he served as President Gerald Ford's personal representative to the International Trade Fair in Zagreb, Yugoslavia in 1974.Parks is in the center of the photo, wearing glasses and a black suit.
Caption:
U.S. Exhibition
TECHNOLOGY FOR THE AMERICAN HOME
Zagreb, Yugoslavia Septe. 12-22, 1974
America Day, Sept. 13, 1974
Left to Right: U.S. Ambassador M. Toon; Mayor Parks; Prof. Dr. V. Ivir, interpretoer (sic); H.E. Vera Gerovac-Trtanj, President of the Committee for Foreign Policy Questions and Relations with Foreign Countries of the S.R. of Croatia.
Date:
1974Materials:
Digital PhotographCurrent Location Status:
Digital ObjectCollection Tier:
Tier 3Source:
Gift of Lyman S. ParksRelated Entity:
Rev. Lyman Parks (donor)Rev. Lyman Parks was the first, and as of 2021, only African-American to be elected Mayor of Grand Rapids. Parks came to Grand Rapids in 1965 as pastor of the African Methodist Episcopal Church at 500 James Ave. He became involved in community affairs and in 1968, one year after the race riots in Grand Rapids, Parks was elected as the first black city commissioner for the city. In 1971 he was elected mayor and held the post until 1975. He retired from the Grand Rapids church in 1986 and moved to African Methodist Church in the Chicago area until 2000. He and his wife returned to Grand Rapids to be close to his children and grandchildren. Parks passed away in 2009.