Hall of Fame Member Biographies

Mark Parker

Mark Parker retired June 30, 2025, after 35 years of leadership at Oklahoma City University. During his tenure, he elevated OCU’s schools of theatre and music to the ranks of top performing arts schools in the nation.

Parker earned his bachelor’s degree in music education from Eastern Michigan University, which has honored him as an outstanding alumnus. He later earned a master's from the University of Michigan and studied for the Doctorate of Philosophy from the Eastman School of Music.

In his first five years on the OCU faculty, he was twice honored as faculty member of the year. In 1995, he was selected as dean of music, a position he would hold for 30 years, and in 2004, he was also appointed dean of theatre, a role he served in for 21 years. 

Under Parker’s leadership, OCU created an innovative master of Fine Arts in Screen Acting where students study one year in Los Angeles and one year in London at Goldsmiths University. As OCU’s Ann Hundley Hoover Chair, he forged partnerships with the Paderewski Academy in Poland and the Israeli College of Contemporary Music (Hed School) in Tel Aviv. He also led OCU into the ranks of All-Steinway Schools, with 144 Steinway & Sons pianos now on campus. Inspired by his vision, Wanda Bass made the largest purchase in Steinway history: 105 pianos, an order that made headlines around the world.

Earlier this year, Parker was honored with the Oklahoma Music Educators 2025 President’s Award for contributions to music education and with the inaugural Legacy Award from Oklahoma Youth Orchestras. In May, OCU announced the receipt of nearly $3 million in gifts from alumni and other supporters to establish the Mark Parker Endowed Faculty Excellence Award.

Parker is the recipient of Oklahoma’s highest honor in the arts, the Governor’s Arts Award. He has served on the board of directors of Creative Oklahoma and of the National Association of Schools of Music, and is the founding president of the DaVinci Institute. He has conducted the OCU Symphony Orchestra for two decades, and has led honor, regional, and All-State ensembles across the nation. Parker also has created pioneering artistic partnerships between OCU and the Oklahoma Youth Orchestras, El Sistema Oklahoma, Canterbury Voices, and Children’s Theatre.