Alton B. Parker

Alton B. Parker
Parker in 1906
Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals
In office January 1, 1898 – August 5, 1904
Preceded by	Charles Andrews
Succeeded by	Edgar M. Cullen
Personal details
Born	Alton Brooks Parker (1852-05-14)May 14, 1852 Cortland, New York, U.S.
Died	May 10, 1926(1926-05-10) (aged 73) New York City, New York, U.S.
Resting place	Wiltwyck Cemetery
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Mary Schoonmaker Amy Day Campbell
Education	Albany Law School (LLB)

Alton Brooks Parker (May 14, 1852 – May 10, 1926) was an American judge. He was the Democratic nominee in the 1904 United States presidential election, losing in a landslide to incumbent Republican Theodore Roosevelt.

A native of upstate New York, Parker practiced law in Kingston, New York, before being appointed to the New York Supreme Court and elected to the New York Court of Appeals. He served as Chief Judge of the latter from 1898 to 1904, when he resigned to run for president. In 1904, he defeated liberal publisher William Randolph Hearst for the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States. In the general election, Parker opposed popular incumbent Republican President Theodore Roosevelt. After a disorganized and ineffective campaign, Parker was defeated by 336 electoral votes to 140, carrying only the traditionally Democratic Solid South. He then returned to practicing law.

In later life, he managed John A. Dix's successful 1910 campaign for Governor of New York and served as prosecution counsel for the 1913 impeachment of Dix's successor, Governor William Sulzer.^[1] During the 1912 presidential election, Parker joined with other constitutional conservatives in an absolute defense of the power of judicial review against critics like Theodore Roosevelt or William Jennings Bryan who advocated a popular check on judicial decisions.^[2]