James W. Parks loved Ball State University, and his passion showed throughout the decades he spent at his alma mater.
Parks, a Ball State graduate and past president of the Board of Trustees for 15 years, died from Lewy Body Dementia on Aug. 23 in Venice, Fla. Parks was 78 when he was struck by Lewy Body, a progressive brain disease that causes degenerative dementia.
Parks worked in numerous roles at Ball State and around the state of Indiana, often serving as an influential leader. Besides serving as the president of the Board of Trustees, he served on the board of directors of the Ball State University Foundation, a group that receives, invests and administers private donations made to the university. On the state level, he served as president and CEO of the AAA Hoosier Motor Club.
"The one thing about James that was always prominent was his outstanding leadership capabilities," Dave Bahlmann, president and CEO of the Ball State Foundation, said. "He could always lead, not only in the corporate world, but also with the Board of Trustees. He was always able to assume the right leadership style for the right occasion."
Despite the love Parks had for Ball State and the success he enjoyed at the university, he never would come here if he had had his way.
Winds of Fate
In 1947, fresh off of his all-state football selection while at Wabash High School, another university offered James Parks a full-ride football scholarship, his wife Joyce said. Parks was all set to accept, but, she said, the university changed its mind and Parks turned to the full-ride football scholarship offered by Ball State.
The choice led to some impressive success, as Parks played a part in the 1949 undefeated football team, Joyce said. If not for that twist of fate, she said, Parks would never have had a chance to fall in love with Ball State and his wife.
Joyce herself never planned to attend Ball State, as she was set to go to Indiana University. However, when Joyce's mother died, she said, the family tried to remain closer, and Joyce joined her sister at Ball State. When they met, Joyce and James turned out to be one of those couples that simply clicked, she said.
"He played football, and I was a cheerleader," Joyce said. "Ball State was just this special place. We both ended up there by accident and met and fell in love. Ever since then, we've lived a magical life."
A Part of History
The Parks met many of Ball State's famous alumni during their years at the university.
Listing their friends is similar to taking a tour of campus's buildings: the Brackens, John and Sandra Worthen, Bob and Margaret Bell and Dr. Emens, just to name a few. Those connections helped Parks use his leadership skills to make a difference at the university.
"James made a difference because he was strong in his beliefs," Joyce said. "His years as the president of the Board of Trustees were his proudest at Ball State."
Joyce said she wasn't sure if the university would hold any ceremonies for Parks, but a look at the lists of Ball State's most prestigious awards bring up numerous mentions of Parks' name, including receiving the Alumni Association's Distinguished Service Award in 1972 and being named to the Miller College of Business' Hall of Fame.
A Final Goodbye
Joyce and Parks visited Ball State for the first time in a few years last October and Joyce said she was so happy he had a chance to return before he died.
"It was such a blessing to be able to come back," she said. "It was wonderful to be able to be there and to see all of the people who are still there."
Joyce said she is planning to return to Ball State again in a couple of years, but it won't be the same without Parks.
"He was such a wonderful father and husband and grandfather," Joyce said. "We were so fortunate. I couldn't have asked for a better life."
- Joe Cermak contributed to this story.
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