Collection inventory

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Editha Parsons Papers

An inventory of her papers at the Syracuse University Archives

Finding aid created by: Mary Skaden
Date: 2012

Revision history:

Biography

As an acclaimed orator and professor, Editha Parsons dedicated her life to public speaking, enhancing both the local community and Syracuse University.

Editha Ann Parsons was born in 1879 in DeRuyter, New York, a small town south of Syracuse. She was a graduate of the Cazenovia Seminary and the Emerson School of Oratory in Boston, and in 1915, she returned to the area to teach public speaking at Syracuse University. Until 1944, Parsons was a professor in the School of Speech and Dramatic Arts, where she pioneered classes in Story Telling, Pageantry, and Educational Dramatics. In addition to her professorial duties, Parsons took an active role on campus: she served on the Curriculum Committee, was committee chairman for the Silver Anniversary celebrations of the School of Speech and Dramatic Arts, and was involved in a number of academic and professional fraternities and sororities. Upon retirement, she was made Professor Emeritus in 1945, honoring her contributions to Syracuse University.

Outside of her position in the University, Parsons was an active member in a variety of women’s organizations in the area. She had close affiliation with the Professional Women’s League, the National League of American Pen Women, the YWCA, in which she served on the board of directors, and the Syracuse Zonta Club, where she was president for several terms. Parsons also participated in the Daughters of the American Revolution, the American Red Cross, the Corinthian Club, and the Park Central Presbyterian Church.

In addition to public speaking and community participation, Parsons nurtured her personal interests in the areas of folk lore and pageantry and was gifted in parliamentary procedure. She also took pleasure in traveling and spent time going to conferences and lectures across the U.S. Additionally, she was sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation to further her research on cultural folk lore, legends, and storytelling, allowing her to travel internationally to a variety of foreign countries. However, her varied interests were always reflected in her ongoing work. After her retirement, she continued to travel, participate in various community groups, and share her love of public speaking until her death in 1964.

Scope and Content Note

The Editha Parsons Papers are made up of various speeches, articles, and other material from 1899 to 1954. This collection is separated into four series: Organizations, Speeches and Lectures, Subject Files, and Writings.

The Organizations series covers several of the major groups Parsons was affiliated with--the National League of American Pen Women, YWCA, and Zonta--and consists of speeches and information from each. The bulk of the papers are in the Speeches and Lectures series, which is divided into three subseries: Education, General, and Religious. This series contains her notes, drafts, outlines, and full speeches from many different occasions and on a variety of topics. The Subject Files series consists of a variety of material such as correspondence, class related items, and a scrapbook that contains clippings, cards, and articles concerning Parsons' 25th anniversary of teaching in the School of Speech and Dramatic Arts. Writing includes a number of articles, essays, and a proof for a book written by Parsons.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

A portrait file and a clipping file are available for Editha Parsons in the Archives.

Selected Search Terms

Names

Parsons, Editha.
National League of American Pen Women.
Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.
Young Women's Christian Association.
Zonta International.

Subjects

Public speaking.
College faculty.
Higher education.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Editha Parsons Papers,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

The items that make up the Editha Parson Papers were given to the Archives by Syracuse University's School of Speech and Dramatic Arts sometime before 1972.

Processing Information

Damaging material, such as staples and paper clips, and duplicates were removed. The collection was placed in acid free folders and archival boxes.

Arrangement

The items are arranged alphabetically within each series.

Table of Contents

Organizations

Speeches and Lectures

Subject Files

Writing

Inventory