Virgil Parker

Honored in 1998

A native of Eugene, Oregon, Virgil's college education was interrupted by World War II. He served in the infantry In the European Theater where he was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. After the war he returned to the University of Oregon to receive his Journalism degree in 1947 with the hope of becoming a sportswriter. Instead, he worked in radio in sales, management and ownership for the next nine years. In 1955 Parker bought radio station KRSN In Los Alamos, New Mexico, and was elected President of the New Mexico Radio and Television Broadcasters Association in 1959. He left the broadcast field in 1967 to follow his lifelong dream as a sportswriter.

In 1988, after serving as sports editor longer than anyone in the 100+ year history of the Journal Star Newspapers in Lincoln, Virgil switched his loyalty from Cornhusker football to golf. Now, after 10 years as the executive director of the Nebraska Golf Association, golf administration has become his third career. Under Virgil's leadership, it started as a part-time retirement job which he operated out of the basement of his home, the United States Golf Association reports that on a per capita basis the NGA is now the largest state golf association in the nation with over 40,000 dues paying members.

Parker was a member of the original Nebraska Golf Hall of Fame board of directors and later served as the organization's treasurer.

Virgil and his wife Ginny have four children, Tony and Eric Parker, and Amy and John Duxbury. Virgil has three grandchildren.