Dr. William Wood Parsons

When Indiana State Normal (Indiana State College) first opened on January 6, 1870, he was a member in the original class of 17 students and was a member of its first graduating class.

In 1876 he joined the faculty as an English instructor and three years later, he was head of the department.

In 1882, he was chosen vice president and in 1885 was named the colleges third president.

In 1918 he assumed responsibility for establishing and administering the new branch of Indiana State at Muncie, later named Ball State Teachers College.

For more than 25 years, he was president of the Rose Orphan Home board of managers and in 1918 became president of the board.

He was also on the board of managers at Rose Polytechnic Institute.

In 1922 he was chosen chairman of the board of directors of the First National Bank of Terre Haute

William Wood Parsons was born in Terre Haute, Indiana on May 18, 1850 to Dr. Thomas Parsons and Elizabeth (Ryman) Parsons.

In 1857, he began his education at the Vigo County Seminary, which was located on the future site of the Indiana State Normal School. He continued school there until the family moved to Douglas County, Illinois in 1862. After Parsons graduated from Tuscola High School he returned to Terre Haute n 1870 where he became a member of the first class to enter the Indiana State Normal School. After graduating in 1872 he began his teaching career which took him to Tuscola, Illinois followed by Gosport and Indianapolis, Indiana. Parsons returned to Indiana State Normal as a teacher of grammar and composition in 1876.

In 1883, Parsons was promoted to Vice-President of Indiana State Normal School. He would become president of the institution on July 1, 1885. President of Ball State University 1918–1921, Parsons retired in September 1921.

William Wood Parsons died in his home in Terre Haute on September 28, 1925

Born in 1850, William Wood Parsons was a man of firsts. He was a student on the first day of classes, was in the first graduating class at Indiana State Normal School, and also first to return to his alma mater as an instructor

.

After graduating with the class of 1872, he served as superintendent of the Gosport schools for a year. During the next two years he served with the Indianapolis High School. Parsons became a member of the Normal School faculty as a teacher of grammar and composition from 1876 until 1883, when he was elected vice president.

That same year Parsons married Harriet Emily Wilkes (who had attended the Normal School). They had two sons. One died in infancy, and the other was Robert Wilkes Parsons. Robert died in June of 1914 at the time of his graduation from Wabash College. Mrs. Parsons died a few months after the death of their son.

In 1885, at the age of 35, Parsons became the third president of the Indiana State Normal School, a position he held for a remarkable 36 years, thus attributing to his nickname "Daddy" Parsons.

During his long tenure, he became well known as a skillful advocate of the needs of the institution and as a resourceful champion during biennial legislative sessions. He may have attained a sense of harmony with both the faculty and the Board of Trustees, something that was often difficult to accomplish in those days.

The office of the vice president of the school which was abolished in 1885, was re-established in 1886 and filled by Professor Howard Sandison (also a member of the first class of 21 students at the Normal School).

In 1888, while Indiana State Normal School was on fire, Parsons ran to the train station to alert students to stay because classes would indeed be in session the next morning at Centenary United Methodist Church.

Baccalaureate degree programs, more demanding entrance and graduation requirements and college-level courses brought recognition and stature to the institution during the Parsons years. The addition of an Eastern Division, a branch campus of Indiana State Normal School in Muncie IN, (now Ball State University) also was among his many accomplishments.

Parsons always gave the fullest measure of devotion to his native state, to the city in which he lived, and to the institution for which he served. During his active career, many honorary degrees were conferred upon him, including a Master of Arts from Indiana University and Doctor of Law degrees from DePauw University and from Wabash College.

During Parsons tenure as president the physical campus grew extensively to included several new buildings; North Hall, Training School, State Normal Library, and Science Buildings were constructed as the growth of education and enrollment provided an optimist out look for teacher education at the Normal School.

In 1917, Parsons married his second wife, Martina C. Erickson, the Normal School's first dean of women.

Four years after his retirement on September 28, 1925, Parsons died.

William Wood Parsons Birth: May 18, 1850 Terre Haute Vigo County Indiana, Death: Sep. 28, 1925 Terre Haute Vigo County Indiana Burial: Highland Lawn Cemetery Terre Haute Vigo County Indiana son of Dr. Thomas Parsons and Elizabeth (Ryman) Parsons.

married 1881 Harriet Emily Wilkes Parsons Birth: 23 Jun 1861 Terre Haute Vigo County Indiana Death: Feb 1916 Vigo, Indiana Burial: Highland Lawn Cemetery Terre Haute Vigo County Indiana daughter of John Byron Wilkes and Mother: Sarah Ann Hazledine

Died of pnuemonia. Co-Founder of the Terre Haute Day Nursery.

They had two sons.

1914, Jul 30 - Robert Parsons, son of W. W. Parsons, president of the State Normal at Terre Huate died Wednesday night of last week of inflamation of the heart, after a serious illness of several months. He was 21 years of age and was graduated last spring from Wagash College. He was buried Friday at Terre Haute - Citizen.

married 2nd Jun 1917 Martina Erickson Birth 25 Oct 1870 Norway Death 23 Aug 1959 Terre Haute, Vigo, Indiana, daughter of Martina Erickson and Pauline Levinda BUiral Ocak Grove Cemetery LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

1917, Jun 27 - The marriage of President W. W. Parsons of the Terre Haute State Normal and Miss Martina Erickson, a former instructor in the school is reported

Indiana, Marriages, 1810-2001 
Name:	Harriet E Wilkes
Gender:	Female
Event Type:	Marriage Registration (Marriage)
Marriage Licence Date:	23 Dec 1880
Marriage Licence Place:	Indiana, United States
Spouse:	W W Parsons
Page:	241
FHL Film Number:	001392541

Year: 1900; Census Place: Harrison, Vigo, Indiana; Page: 10; 
Enumeration District: 0114; FHL microfilm: 1240409
Name:	William Parsons [William N Parsons] 
Age:	50
Birth Date:	May 1850
Birthplace:	Indiana
Home in 1900:	Harrison, Vigo, Indiana
Ward of City:	7th
Street:	Cherry Street
House Number:	634
Sheet Number:	10
Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation:	156
Family Number:	166
Race:	White
Gender:	Male
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Marital status:	Married
Spouse's name:	Harriet Parsons
Marriage Year:	1881
Father's Birthplace:	Maryland
Mother's Birthplace:	Kentucky
Occupation:	Pres State Normal School
Can Read:	Yes
Can Write:	Yes
Can Speak English:	Yes
House Owned or Rented:	O
Home Free or Mortgaged:	F
Farm or House:	H
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	
Name	Age
William Parsons	50
Harriet Parsons	39
Robert E Parsons	7
Kate Kendall	34

Year: 1910; Census Place: Terre Haute Ward 2, Vigo, Indiana; 
Roll: T624_385; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 0141; FHL microfilm: 1374398
Name:	Wm W Parsons
Age in 1910:	60
Birth Year:	abt 1850
Birthplace:	Indiana
Home in 1910:	Terre Haute Ward 2, Vigo, Indiana
Street:	Pople Street
House Number:	661
Race:	White
Gender:	Male
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Marital status:	Married
Spouse's name:	Harrett E Parsons
Father's Birthplace:	Maryland
Mother's Birthplace:	Kentucky
Native Tongue:	English
Occupation:	President
Industry:	State Normal
Employer, Employee or Other:	Wage Earner
Home Owned or Rented:	Rent
Farm or House:	House
Able to Read:	Yes
Able to Write:	Yes
Years Married:	39
Out of Work:	N
Number of weeks out of work:	0
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	
Name	Age
Wm W Parsons	60
Harrett E Parsons	48
Robert W Parsons	17
Edith Morse	39

Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 
Name:	Robert Wilkers Parsons
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Age:	21
Marital status:	Single
Birth Date:	9 Dec 1892
Birth Place:	Terre Haute Ind
Death Date:	23 Jul 1914
Death Place:	Terre Haute, Vigo, Indiana, USA
Father:	Wm. H. Parsons
Mother:	Harriet E. Parsons

Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 
Name:	Harriet Emily Parsons [Harriet Emily Wilkos] 
Gender:	Female
Race:	White
Age:	54
Marital status:	Married
Birth Date:	23 Jun 1861
Birth Place:	Indiana
Death Date:	4 Feb 1916
Death Place:	Terre Haute, Vigo, Indiana, USA
Father:	John Wilkos
Mother:	Sarah Ann Wilkos
Spouse:	William W. Parsons

Cook County, Illinois Marriage Indexes, 1912-1942 
Name:	Martina C Erickson
Gender:	Female
Spouse Name:	William Parsons
Spouse Gender:	Male
Marriage Date:	13 Oct 1917 

Year: 1920; Census Place: Terre Haute Ward 2, Vigo, Indiana; 
Roll: T625_468; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 127
Name:	William W Parsons [William W Passons] 
Age:	69
Birth Year:	abt 1851
Birthplace:	Indiana
Home in 1920:	Terre Haute Ward 2, Vigo, Indiana
Street:	Putnam ave
House Number:	1444
Residence Date:	1920
Race:	White
Gender:	Male
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Marital status:	Married
Spouse's name:	Martina Parsons
Father's Birthplace:	Maryland
Mother's Birthplace:	Maryland
Able to Speak English:	Yes
Occupation:	President
Industry:	Normal School
Employment Field:	Wage or Salary
Home Owned or Rented:	Own
Home Free or Mortgaged:	Free
Able to Read:	Yes
Able to Write:	Yes
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	
Name	Age
William W Parsons	69
Martina Parsons	49
Edith Muehler	49
Hattie Muehler	3

Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 
Name:	William Wood Parsons
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Age:	75
Marital status:	Married
Birth Date:	18 May 1850
Birth Place:	Indiana
Death Date:	28 Sep 1925
Death Place:	Terre Haute, Vigo, Indiana, USA
Father:	DR. Thomas Parson
Mother:	Maryland Parson
Spouse:	Martina Parsons

 Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 
Name:	Martina Erickson Parsons [Martina Erickson Erickson] 
Gender:	Female
Race:	White
Age:	88
Marital status:	Widowed
Birth Date:	25 Oct 1870
Birth Place:	Norway
Death Date:	23 Aug 1959
Death Place:	Terre Haute, Vigo, Indiana, USA
Father:	Martina Erickson
Mother:	Pauline Erickson

Lake Maxinkuckee Its Intrigue History & Genealogy Culver, Marshall, Indiana

Dr. William Wood Parsons