William E. (Bill) Parker was born in Anna, Illinois, in 1935. He entered Southern Illinois University at the age of 16 in 1952. Parker interrupted his studies when he moved with his family to St. Louis and started acting in local stage productions. He joined the Southtown Players, performing in and directing productions at the Richmond Theatre. Parker also sang in Gaslight Square night clubs such as Marty’s, the Crystal Palace, and The Black Horse Inn.

Parker left St. Louis to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from Memphis State University in 1966. He then earned a Master of Science degree in Theater and Communication from Southern Illinois University (SIU Carbondale) in 1968. In 1975, he completed his doctoral thesis at SIU and earned his PhD in Theater and Speech. At this time, Parker wrote and directed his first play, From These Sterile Hills. He also wrote two other plays, The Apprentice (1989) and Just As We Are (1989).

In 1969, Parker accepted a teaching position with Pacific Lutheran University after completing the coursework for his doctorate. After a leave of absence to complete his PhD, Parker returned to Pacific Lutheran University where he taught, acted, and directed. He achieved the rank of full professor in 1987 and retired in 2000. He returned to St. Louis in 2008 with his partner Edward C. Gentzler III. Parker died on June 20, 2014, after a long battle with cancer.