Biography/History:

Alton N. Parker was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, on July 12, 1895. He was raised by his grandparents. Parker attended Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Mississippi State University) between 1910 and 1914. During World War I, he joined the United States Navy and attended naval aviation school in Pensacola, Florida. There, Parker met future explorer Admiral Richard Byrd, and the two men became friends.

Parker later accompanied Byrd on expeditions to the North and South Poles. On December 25, 1928, the Byrd expedition arrived in Antarctica, and Parker achieved the honor of being the first American to set foot there. Returning in 1930, Parker joined Western Air Express (predecessor of TWA) and was co-pilot on the first airmail flight to Los Angeles, California. During that same year, Parker received the United States Distinguished Flying Cross for his service with the Byrd expedition.

The state of Mississippi designated September 5, 1930, as Alton N. Parker Day in honor of Parkers accomplishments. He died in 1942.

Scope and Content Note:

This collection contains a handwritten letter from Alton N. Parker to Theodore Kendall Dampeer, a friend and general manager of the Dampeer Drug Store in Crystal Springs, Mississippi. The letter is from the expedition camp known as Little America in Antarctica and is dated October 29, 1929. Parker briefly discusses the expedition, describes some of the scenery in Antarctica, and expresses his desire to return home.

Series Identification:

Series 1: Letter. 1929. 0.10 c.f.