Upon his retirement, General Julius Parker was the highest-ranking African American Military Intelligence Officer in Army history and one of only three African Americans in the Military Intelligence Branch to achieve the rank of general officer.

Born in New Braunfels, Texas, he graduated from Prairie View A&M University in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry and later earned a Master of Science in Public Administration from Shippensburg State University. He also attended The Harvard Senior Executive Program.

During his 22-year military career, General Parker commanded units at all levels, from second lieutenant to two-star general, and gained over 20 years of executive management experience, including overseeing organizations with up to 35,000 personnel and budgets of up to $850 million. He concluded his service as Commanding General of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and Commander of Fort Huachuca, where he developed intelligence training programs and founded the Military Intelligence (MI) Corps and Hall of Fame.

After retiring in 1989, General Parker became Associate Vice President for Business Affairs at the University of Arizona, managing key operational areas including procurement, risk management, and security. He was a two-time recipient of the Governor's Award for Excellence.