Post-war Activities
Following the end of the American Civil War, William H. Parker was captain of a Pacific Mail steamship and then served as president of Maryland Agricultural College (later known as the University of Maryland at College Park). Parker attempted to institute a Naval Cadet Corps in much the same manner as some other private colleges had done with Army styled groups (see Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets as an example). When the school began dropping in its enrollment, and after Parker attempted to have the name of the college changed, he was asked to resign, which he did reluctantly in 1882.
In his later years, Parker suffered from alcoholism, but this did not prevent his being appointed the Minister to Korea (the predecessor title to the United States Ambassador to Korea) in June 1886. Recognized as a "hopeless drunkard" by the former Minister (George Clayton Foulk) Parker was relieved of his position less than a year later.
Parker returned to live in Washington, D.C., where he enjoyed retirement and focused on writing. He died suddenly at the age of 70 on December 30, 1896.
Read more about this topic: William Harwar Parker
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