In 1830, at age 19, Parker walked the ten miles from Lexington to Cambridge to apply to Harvard College.
He was accepted but could not pay the tuition, so he lived and studied at home, continued to work on his father's farm, and joined his classmates only for exams.
Under that program, he was able to complete three years of study in one.
He then took various posts as a teacher, conducting an academy from 1831 to 1834 at Watertown, Massachusetts, where his late mother's family lived.
At Watertown, he met his future wife, Lydia Dodge Cabot.
He announced their engagement to his father in October, 1833.
Theodore and Lydia were married four years later on April 20, 1837.

While at Watertown, Parker produced his first significant manuscript, The History of the Jews, which outlined his skepticism of biblical miracles and an otherwise liberal approach to Bible.
These were to be themes throughout his career.

Parker considered a career in law, but his strong faith led him to theology.
He entered the Harvard Divinity School in 1834.
He specialized in the study of German theology and was drawn to the ideas of Coleridge, Carlyle and Emerson.
He wrote and spoke (with varying degrees of fluency) Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and German.
His journal and letters show that he was acquainted with many other languages, including Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, Coptic and Ethiopic.
He completed the divinity school program quickly, in 1836, in order to marry and begin preaching without delay.
In 1830, at age 19, Parker walked the ten miles from Lexington to Cambridge to apply to Harvard College. He was accepted but could not pay the tuition, so he lived and studied at home, continued to work on his father's farm, and joined his classmates only for exams. Under that program, he was able to complete three years of study in one. He then took various posts as a teacher, conducting an academy from 1831 to 1834 at Watertown, Massachusetts, where his late mother's family lived. At Watertown, he met his future wife, Lydia Dodge Cabot. He announced their engagement to his father in October, 1833. Theodore and Lydia were married four years later on April 20, 1837.
While at Watertown, Parker produced his first significant manuscript, The History of the Jews, which outlined his skepticism of biblical miracles and an otherwise liberal approach to Bible. These were to be themes throughout his career.
Parker considered a career in law, but his strong faith led him to theology. He entered the Harvard Divinity School in 1834. He specialized in the study of German theology and was drawn to the ideas of Coleridge, Carlyle and Emerson. He wrote and spoke (with varying degrees of fluency) Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and German. His journal and letters show that he was acquainted with many other languages, including Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, Coptic and Ethiopic. He completed the divinity school program quickly, in 1836, in order to marry and begin preaching without delay.
Theodore Parker