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Meet Timothy Parker
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An avid wordsmith and puzzle solver, Timothy Eric Parker started his first crossword puzzle at the kitchen table when he was 12 years old. He never did finish that first puzzle, but it was the beginning of a 25-year interest in crosswords. In fact, Parker has become the world's most syndicated puzzle compiler according to Guinness World Records.
It was early 1996 that Parker's dual interest in computers and crosswords began to converge. Excited by the possibilities for interactivity, Parker began searching for crosswords on the World Wide Web and various online services. Frustrated with what he found, he began developing an interactive crossword of his own. Recalling the crash his computer experienced while downloading crossword software provided by another developer, Parker was determined that users would be able to do his puzzle without downloading anything. After testing several approaches, Java emerged as the programming language of choice. Parker then sought out master crossword designers to create puzzles that he could plug into his interactive template. Parker's Universal Crossword became the Web's first syndicated crossword puzzle.
Parker got into the crossword business after pursuing a marketing career with Bridgestone/Firestone Corp. and, more recently, his own firm. He founded the American Research Center in Baltimore in 1995 to produce corporate marketing strategies and other research. In 1999, Parker formed Master Puzzles, Inc., bringing the talents of over sixty of the world's top puzzle masters into one well-managed organization.
Parker has enjoyed tremendous success with several other intelligent puzzles games and his selection of syndicated word searches, word games and themed crosswords continues to expand regularly.
In his spare time, Parker is an ardent baseball fan, and enjoys writing short stories. Parker is also an Assistant Pastor at Baltimore's Tabernacle of Deliverance Christian Center. He lives in Baltimore, Md., with his wife, Giselle, and their two children.
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