Francis McMillan Parks, longtime instructor and director at Syracuse University, passed away on January 12. She was 87 years old.
Prior to her long tenure with Syracuse University, Parks began her academic career as a faculty member with the University of Maryland’s long distance program. In the 1980s, she joined the faculty at Syracuse as an instructor in the English Language Institute. She later transitioned to Syracuse’s University College, where she served as an academic advisor.
In 1992, Parks was promoted to director of student offering service and of African American programs at Syracuse University’s Hendricks Chapel. As director, she developed several community engagement programs and campus events over the course of her long tenure. She retired from Syracuse in 2007. The university later established The Francis McMillan Parks Women of Influence Award in her honor. The prize recognizes women who have made outstanding efforts to advance the quality of life and educational opportunities for women in the Syracuse community.
After her retirement, Parks became a Frances Perkins Scholar at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. While there, she conducted research on the Gees Bend Quilters, Gullah Geechee Culture, and The Negro Women’s Society of Odessa, Texas.
Parks received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and her master’s degree from Clark Atlanta University.