"Parker" was authorized in March 1911 as the third of four ships of the , which was almost identical to the s authorized at the same time. Construction of the vessel — like her three sister ships — was awarded to William Cramp & Sons of Philadelphia which laid down her keel on 11 March 1912. On 8 February 1913, "Parker" was launched by sponsor Mrs. Henry W. Hand, wife of the vice president of the Cramp shipyard. The ship was the first U.S. Navy vessel to be named for Foxhall A. Parker, Jr., a U.S. Navy officer who served in the American Civil War, and as Superintendent of United States Naval Academy; he was also a co-founder of the United States Naval Institute. As built, the destroyer was in length, abeam, and drew . The ship had a standard displacement of and displaced when fully loaded.