Among the members of the Parsons family who have contributed significantly to American culture and history include governors, businessmen, authors, musicians, and journalists. Several members of the family have served in the United States House of Representatives. Andrew Parsons served as the tenth governor of Michigan. Charles Parsons was a prominent business leader of St. Louis. Frank Parsons was a law professor and author of numerous books on economics and law. Lewis Parons served as governor of Alabama during the difficult Reconstruction Period following the Civil War. William Parsons was the engineer who designed the New York City subway system. The following accounts of these and other Parsons have been taken from various sources to indicate their diverse interests and talents.
Albert Ross Parsons (1847 - ??): musician. Born in Sandusky, Ohio, Albert Parsons began his interest in music when he was just four years old. At the age of nine he played in his first concert. He received advanced instruction in New York at 16; later he studied at Leipsic and Berlin, where he made the acquaintance of Wagner. Parsons was prominently connected with musical affairs in New York City for a number of years, and he was the translator of many foreign musical works. He was the director of the pianoforte department of the Metropolitan College of Music, and in 1890 he was made president of the American Society for the Promotion of Musical Art.
Andrew Parsons (1817 - 1855): governor of Michigan. Born in Renssalaer County, New York, Parsons moved to Michigan as a young man, where he began school-teaching. In 1837 he was elected county clerk of Shiawasee County, and in 1840 he was register of deeds. In 1846 he was elected to the state senate; he was elected lieutenant-governor in 1852. The following year Governor Robert McClelland resigned, making Parsons the tenth governor of Michigan. His administration was chiefly noted for his successful opposition to a powerful railroad influence that sought to promote its own interest at the expense of the state.
Charles Parsons (1824 - 1900?): financier. Charles Parsons was born in Cortland County, New York. He was educated at Cortland Academy, and first employed at his father's store. He entered the banking business with the Bank of Attica, in New York, and later he opened his own bank in Iowa. In 1870 he was made president of the State National Bank of St. Louis. Parsons was also president of the St. Louis Clearing House, and president of the American Bankers Association. In 1892 he was elected treasurer for the city of St. Louis.
Claude Vancleve (VanCleve) Parsons (1895 - 1941): representative from Illinois. Claude Parsons was born in rural Pope County, Illinois, and attended the public schools there. After his graduation from college, he returned to Pope County, where he became superintendent of the schools. In 1930 he was elected to fill a vacant seat in Congress. He was reelected four times, serving from 1930 to 1941.
Edward Young Parsons (1842 - 1876): representative from Kentucky. Born in Jefferson County, Kentucky, Edward Parsons received his education in Louisville, graduating from the university in 1861, and from the Louisville Law School in 1865. He practiced law in Louisville before being elected on Congress in 1875. He served there until his death in 1876.
Frank Parsons (1854 - 1908): author and educator. Frank Parsons, born in Mount Holly, New Jersey, was well-schooled as a boy, enabling him to enter Cornell Univeristy in the sophomore year. There he pursued mathematics and engineering studies. Later, he began studying law in Southbridge, Massachusetts. After his admission to the bar, he became a legal text-writer for a law firm in Boston. In 1891 he was appointed lecturer in the Law School of Boston, and in 1907, he was appointed professor of history at Kansas State College. Parsons was one of the prime movers in organizing the Ruskin College of Social Science in Trenton, Missouri, and was made dean of the lecture extension department there. He was the author of numerous volumes of books on economics, banking, insurance, history, and literature.
Herbert Parsons (1869 - 1925): representative from New York. Born in New York City, Herbert Parsons was educated at Yale, Harvard, and the University of Berlin. He began a law practice in New York in 1894; in 1900 he was elected to the board of aldermen. He was elected to Congress in 1904 and served from 1905 - 1911. Representative Parsons also served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention from 1908 - 1920.
Lewis Eliphalet Parsons (1817 - 1895): provisional governor of Alabama. Born in Broome County, New York, Parsons studied law in New York and Pennsylvania before moving to Talladega, Alabama, to open a law firm. He was elected to the Alabama state legislature in 1859, although he was not sympathetic with the Confederate cause. On 21 June 1865, President Andrew Johnson appointed Parons the provisional governor of the state. He was very instrumental in reconciling the state of Alabama with the Union after the war. Parsons was respected and admired by the citizens of the state; he was conservative, yet outspoken and honest. In 1872, Parsons was again elected to the state legislature.
Richard Chappel Parsons (1826 - 1899): representative from Ohio, Richard Parsons was born in New London, Connecticut, and moved to Norwalk, Ohio, as a young man. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1851, commencing practice in Cleveland. He was a member of the Cleveland city council in 1851 - 1853; in 1858 he was elected to the state legislature. He was a marshal of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1867 to 1872. In 1872 he was elected for one term to Congress; afterwards he resumed law practice in Cleveland.
Samuel Parsons (1844 - 1923): landscape architect. Samuel Parsons was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and educated at Haverford College and Yale University. After working in his father's horticulture business for several years, he was employed by the city of New York as a landscape architect. For fifteen years he was superintendent of the parks, and in fact, he designed several of the city's parks. In 1900 he was commissioned to devise plans for beautifying the nation's capital. The results of his plan was the landscaping of the mall between the capitol building and the Washington Monument. Among the universities which he helped to landscape are Colorado University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Pomona College (California). He was also the author of a number of books on landscape design and architecture.
Theophilus Parsons (1797 - 1882): author and law professor. Born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, Parsons studied law at Harvard, graduating in 1815. From 1837 - 1882 he was a professor of law at Harvard. He published numerous essays and legal publications.
Usher Parsons (1788 - 1868): physician. Usher Parsons was born in Alfred, Maine. His ancestors were among the earliest of the New England colonists. Young Usher was schooled in his native village, and, having determined to become a doctor, went away to Boston to study. He joined the Navy as a surgeon's mate in 1812, and served in the War of 1812. During the Battle of Lake Erie, Parsons singlehandedly cared for all the sick and wounded, and later received a citation for meritorious duty. After the war, Parsons furthered his medical studies at Harvard. He received an appointment as a professor at Dartmouth and later at Brown University. Parsons also served as president of the Rhode Island Medical Society and vice-preseident of the American Medical Association.
William Barclay Parsons (1859 - ??): civil engineer. William Parsons was born in New York City and educated at Columbia College, graduating in 1882. He was engaged in railroad construction for several years. In 1891 Parsons was commissioned by the city of New York as chief engineer in the construction of its underground subway system. This was no doubt one of his most significant works. Another noteworthy achievement was his role as advisory engineer for the construction of the Panama Canal. Parons was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a trustee of Columbia University.
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