Dr. Daniel McNeill Parker was born on April 28, 1822, in Windsor, Hants, Nova Scotia.
He was a physician and politician. He received his early education at King’s College School and Horton Academy. In 1845, he graduated from the University of Edinburgh with the degree of M.D. He returned to Nova Scotia and established a lucrative private practice in Halifax, which he maintained until 1895. Dr. Parker was president of both the Provincial Medical Association of Nova Scotia and the Canadian Medical Association. He was one of the commissioners who arranged to have a Nova Scotia exhibit at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, England, for which he received the Prince Albert Medal. In 1868, he was involved in the creation of the medical faculty at Dalhousie University. He was also an active member of the Liberal-Conservative Party. In 1867, he was elected to the Legislative Council, maintaining his seat until 1901.
In 1847, he married Elizabeth Johnston (Ritchie) (1821–1852), and in 1854, he married Fanny Holmes Black (1834–1915). He died on November 4, 1907, in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Parke, Davis & Company was America's oldest and largest drug maker that played an important role in medical history. It was founded in Detroit, Michigan, by Dr. Samuel P. Duffield, a physician, and pharmacist. Dr. Duffield and Hervey Coke Parke formed a partnership in 1866, with George S. Davis becoming a third partner in 1867. Dr. Duffield withdrew in 1869 because of poor health and an interest in practicing medicine. The partnership adopted the name Parke, Davis, or Parke-Davis in 1871 and was incorporated as Parke, Davis & Company in 1875. The company is credited with building the first modern pharmaceutical laboratory and developing the first systematic methods of performing clinical trials of new medications. In 1970, Parke-Davis was acquired by Warner-Lambert. It is now a subsidiary of Pfizer, which acquired Warner-Lambert in 2000. The Parke-Davis Research Laboratory is a National Historic Landmark and, the surrounding Parke-Davis and Company Pharmaceutical Company Plant is on the National Register of Historic Places.
