BenU alumnus Warrington S. Parker, Jr., Ph.D. (B.A.’62) recently published “Strength of Will” in which he discusses his life from growing up under Jim Crow laws in Mobile, AL to speaking at the United Nations.

In college, Warrington received his B.A. in Sociology with a secondary teaching degree from St. Procopius College. He was also the captain of his football and baseball teams. After graduation, he taught school at his high school alma mater and coached football and baseball for two years. He was then hired to be a head teacher of math and later was promoted to the Director of the Adult and Special Youth Basic Education, under the auspices of the Detroit Public Schools and the Federal Government (MDTA), (Skills Training Center later renamed The McNamara Center). He remained there for three years and then took a job as Director of Community Affairs for the Michigan Catholic Conference in Lansing, Michigan.

Having been the Director of Community Affairs for three years, Parker became a Program Associate for organizational and community change at the Institute for Social Research (ISR) Center for Research on the Utilization of Scientific Knowledge (CRUSH), the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. While working at ISR, Warrington completed his doctoral degree in Organizational Psychology at the University of Michigan, focusing on learning about organizational change.

After completing his PhD, Warrington became an Assistant Professor and Director of Community Affairs at the University of Michigan. In addition, he consulted with the Detroit Public School Superintendent to develop a management training academy for the managers and the Bendix Corporation Research Lab. He also consulted with the New Detroit Organization, Inc., researching and writing a report about the status of community organizations that New Detroit funded.

Warrington joined the Rockwell Corporation as an Organizational Psychologist in 1978, where he focused on working as an internal organizational change agent. He was featured in several articles discussing his work at the Rockwell Corporation as an Organizational Psychologist. He was featured in the following:

“The Bold New World of Rockwell,” Industry Week, June 1987
Patriot’s Magazine, discussing his leadership work at the Rockwell Corporation, “Leaders of Leaders”
The byline of the magazine “Living the Dream of Freedom Worldwide
“An Afro-American: Scholars, Leaders, Activities, and Writers of Black History. The Black History 1993 Commemorative Edition.

While at Rockwell, he lectured in The Republic of China, Beijing, in 1988 to all the Ministers. He retired from Rockwell Corporation after serving the organization for 25 years.

In retirement, he served as Vice President of the International Brain Education Association (IBREA), successfully establishing a Korean NGO in the United Nations, New York. Under the auspices of the Korean NGO, he helped to organize an International Brain Education Conference at the United Nations and gave a presentation at the Conference. He also gave a presentation to The EL Salvadoran Embassy, United Nations, New York, on the positive results of reducing gang violence as a result of training students and teachers in Brain Education in the country.

Further, he served as Vice President of Research and Development for the Brain Research Institute in South Korea and Director of Brain Education in the United States. As Director of Brain Education in the United States, he trained teachers and students.

In 2009, Warrington and his wife were invited to help turn around a struggling African Centered, K-12 Detroit Public Charter School, Timbuktu Academy of Science and Technology, later renamed Obama Leadership Academy. After four years of their leadership in the school, it received a five-year extension of its Charter. The success was helped by a highly motivated and dedicated staff and teachers.

Warrington now enjoys being at his home, living on a golf course with his wife in Sedona, AZ. He particularly enjoys playing golf, practicing yoga for stretching and strengthening, and writing about his life experiences.

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