Edward Smith Parsons (AC 1883) Papers, 1883-1943 (bulk 1916-1921)
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Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Sarang Gopalakrishnan. 2003-12-03
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Edward Smith Parsons Papers
Creation of Edward Smith Parsons Papers
Time of Creation of Edward Smith Parsons Papers
Parsons, Edward Smith, 1863-
Biographical History for: Edward Smith Parsons Papers
Biographical Note Edward Smith Parsons was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 9, 1863. He was educated at the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute, Amherst (BA 1883) and Yale (BD 1887), and was ordained in the Congregational Church in 1887. After serving as parson of the First Congregational Church in Greeley, Colorado, for four years, he joined the faculty of Colorado College as an English professor in 1892. Parsons was vice-president of the college (1898-1916, and dean of the Department of Arts and Sciences (1901-1917). However, his vocal opposition to President William F. Slocum (AC 1874), which caused Slocum to resign, made him unpopular with the trustees, who in turn forced his resignation in 1917. Parsons' dismissal caused considerable public outrage, and the trustees offered to reinstate him conditionally. Parsons declined the offer, however, and moved to Marietta College (Ohio), where he served as President from 1919 to 1936 and as President Emeritus from 1936 to 1943. Parsons was a founder of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, an active member and official of the YMCA, and a member of various other social and academic organizations. He edited Milton's Minor Poems for the Cambridge Series, and wrote several scholarly articles, including "The Earliest Life of Milton" (English Historical Review, January 1902; republished as part of Colorado College Studies, vol. X, 1903); "A Christian Critique of Socialism"; "The Social Message of Jesus"; etc. Parsons married Mary Augusta Ingersoll on December 4, 1889, and was the father of six children. He died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 22, 1943.
Scope and Contents of the Collection Correspondence and news clippings, mainly regarding Parsons' dismissal from Colorado College as a result of his opposition to President William F. Slocum (AC 1874); diaries; scholarly notes and papers on John Milton; and miscellaneous booklets.
Congregational churches--Clergy--Biography--Sources.
lcsh
lcnaf
Milton, John, 1608-1674.
Amherst College--Students.
Colorado College--Faculty.
Marietta College--Presidents.
Amherst College. Class of 1883. Parsons.
aat
series
Series 1: CORRESPONDENCE, 1903-1943
Series 1, Correspondence, 1903-1943, is organized into two sub-series: A. Correspondence and Notes Regarding Parsons' Dismissal from Colorado College, 1916-1921. Notes include statements made by female employees and a group of faculty members at the college regarding the conduct of President Slocum, and documentation of Dean Parsons' dismissal from the college by the board of trustees. Material in this sub-series is organized chronologically by year. B. Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1903-1943. The bulk of this correspondence dates from 1940-1943 and concerns an article that Parsons was preparing for publication, "Concerning 'The Earliest Life of Milton'," which was published in June 1942. Correspondence is arranged chronologically.
subseries
Sub-Series A: Correspondence and Notes Regarding Parsons' Dismissal from Colorado College
Correspondence 1915-1916
Correspondence 1917
Correspondence 1918
Correspondence 1919
Correspondence 1920
Correspondence 1921
Undated Correspondence n.d.
Sub-Series B: Miscellaneous Correspondence
Correspondence - miscellaneous 1901-1933
Correspondence - mostly concerning an article Parsons was preparing, "Concerning 'The Earliest Life of Milton'," which was published in June 1942 1940-1943
Series 2: DIARIES, 1883-1943
Series 2, Diaries, 1883-1943, are personal notes entered on an almost daily basis. Several of the diaries are "Line-a-Day" books with each page showing entries for the same day over a four or five year period. There is a gap in the diaries from 1889 to 1899.
3 diaries 1883-1884
4 diaries 1884-1886
4 diaries 1886-1888
2 diaries 1900-1905
3 diaries 1906-1921
2 diaries 1921-1930
3 diaries 1930-1943
Loose materials removed from diaries 1883-1943
Series 3: SCHOLARLY RESEARCH ON JOHN MILTON, 1877-1936 AND N.D.
Series 3, Scholarly Research on John Milton, 1877-1933 and n.d., consists of notes and articles related to Parsons' scholarly research about the poet John Milton.
The Puritan Epic, the Paradise Lost n.d.
"On the Study of Paradise Lost" n.d.
"The Puritan Scholar and His Book" n.d.
Harry Martin," "Marvell and Cromwell," "Milton and Cromwell n.d.
"Milton's Life and Times" n.d.
"Milton and His Blindness" n.d.
"Poetical Epithets of the Nightingale" n.d.
The Youth of Milton," "The Character of Milton's Satan n.d.
"Milton and Vane" n.d.
"Milton: The Puritan Youth"; "Milton's Musical Friend" (on Henry Lawes) and "Milton's Young Friends" (based on his "Sonnet to Mr. Lawrence") n.d.
Articles on Milton 1933, n.d.
Ms of Parsons' article on "The Authorship of the Anonymous Life of Milton," related notes and correspondence [1935]-1936
Notes and articles on Milton 1877, 1884, n.d.
Materials relating to Milton, miscellaneous 1883-1943
Series 4: MISCELLANEOUS, 1915-1917, n.d.
Series 4, Miscellaneous, 1915-1917, consists of printed matter related to Parsons' work during World War I after leaving Colorado College.
Miscellaneous printed matter: "English for Coming Americans" lessons and teacher's aids; 3 items related to Army Y.M.C.A., Camp Meade, Maryland, 1917 1915-1917, n.d.
Series 5: NEWSCLIPPINGS, 1903-1921
Series 5, News Clippings, 1903-1921, consist of loose newspaper clippings and a scrapbook documenting Parsons' career.
Loose clippings 1916-1921
Scrapbook with news clippings 1903-1917