St. Paul recorder., 1961-08-18
Kennedy Nominates
Persons For US.
District Bench
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~HSublSh SSISbh
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others are Moore, Mollison, and
Richardson.
TOles Urged Appointment
One of the persons who con-
tributed to the naming of Parsons
is a colleague, Edward B. Toles,
chairman of the judiciary commit
tee of the National Bar Associ-
alton who has waged a lengthy
campaign for the appointment Of
Negro judges to the federal dis
trict court.
Toles, attending the bar associa-
ton convention in Los Angeles,
could not be contacted for a state
ment.
Parsons, a man with a solid
legal background, has been a judge
only since last fall when he was
elected as Democrat to Superior
Court. His assignment to Criminal
Court followed.
For nine years before the 1860
election he served as an assistant
us. attorney for the northern
Illinois district. That means he
will now judge cases in the same
federal courtrooms where he argu-
ed for convictions during the years
1951-6O.
Prosecuted Red Leader
Although Parsons pleaded many
federal cases during those nine
years, the one that brought him
the widest notice was his success
full prosecution of Illinois Commun-
ist leader Claude NJ. Lightfoot.
Lightfoot, like Parsons, a Negro,
was convicted under the Smith
Act, but the conviction later was
set aside by the Supreme Court
and Lightfoot was granted a new
trial.
Parsons, a native of Kansas
City, Mo-, was born in 1911, one
of five children. His father, a
Disciples of Christ minister, in
stilled in the younger Parsons a
strong feeling for the greatness of
the United States.
That he is philosphically welded
to American democracy is exemph-
fled in the statement that it is
"a form of government that is a
phenomenon in the history of CIV
ilization and which must be pre-
served"
The elder Parsons also had a
passionate regard" for rhetoric,
which his son soon acquired. When
the family moved to Decatur, Ill,
the youth joined the high school
debate team. He did well enough
in his studies to be graduated third
in a class of 362.
Publisher Advanced Tuition
His record caught the eye OF
Charles Schaub, late publisher OF
the Decatur Herald Review
Schaub advanced young Parsons
money for each semesters tuition
at Decatur's Millilin University
Parsons repaid the loans by work
ing nights at the Herald as a copy
boy and press-room assistant.
While at Millikin, Parsons spent
much of his time at the conserva-
tory Of music, concentrating OF
orchestration, conducting and voice
training. He also learned to play
the cello and blow a fairly mean
trumpet.
But not anymore" the judge
smiled. Studying the law is g
full-time job"
After receiving his Bachelor Of
Arts degree from Millikin in 1884
Parsons spent six years as a mem
Der of the faculty of Lincoln Univ
ersity at jefferson City, Mo. From
1910 until he enlisted in the Navy
in early 1912, he served as super
visor of music for the IA Negro
schools of Greensboro, NC.
In 1945 Parson was discharged
from service after spending NOR,
than two years in the South Pac
ific. He returned to his studies ant
in 1946 received his masters de
gree in political science from tn
University of Chicago.
BY this time his ambitions wer
focused on a law career Thre
more years at the U. of c. brough
him his doctorate of laws.
After a two-year stint as as
sistant corporation counsel for tn
City of Chicago, he was appointe
to the us. attorneys staff unde
the sponsorship of Sen. Paul +
| Douglas d., m). Nine years lat
er he was elected to Superio
Court.
! On or off the bench, Parsor
presents an imposing figure. HI
6-foot-2-inch frame is trimmed
100 pounds. Well chiseled, unline
features, topped by thick hai
barely necked with gray, belle tn
fact that he will celebrate his 5Ot
birthday Friday.
The judge attributes his vigor i