Martha Parsons (December 6, 1869 – March 19, 1965) was an American businesswoman who worked for

Landers, Frary & Clark Landers, Frary & Clark was a housewares company based in New Britain, Connecticut. The firm traced its origins to 1842, when George M. Landers and Josiah Dewey entered into a partnership named Dewey and Landers, which manufactured various metal ...

, eventually becoming executive secretary. She was inducted into the

Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame The Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame (CWHF) recognizes women natives or residents of the U.S. state of Connecticut for their significant achievements or statewide contributions. The CWHF had its beginnings in 1993 when a group of volunteers partn ...

in 2010.

Biography

Parsons was born on December 6, 1869, to John and Juliette Allen Parsons. Her father was a prosperous merchant who died in 1880. Later she graduated from

Enfield High School Enfield High School is a secondary school established in 1893 in Enfield, Connecticut. The Enfield High School campus is located in the Connecticut River Valley, on Enfield Street ( U.S. Route 5) in Enfield's Historical District. The school h ...

. One of the first to learn

Gregg shorthand Gregg shorthand is a form of shorthand that was invented by John Robert Gregg in 1888. Like cursive longhand, it is completely based on elliptical figures and lines that bisect them. Gregg shorthand is the most popular form of pen stenography in ...

, Parsons took a job with Morgan Envelope Company, earning $10-$12 a week as a stenographer. In 1893, she was hired by

, based in New Britain, Connecticut. By 1912, she was the company's executive secretary, becoming the "first female business executive in Connecticut's history to earn her position on the basis of merit." Parsons signed her mail "M. A. Parsons" so that people she was interacting with would not know that she was a woman. In 1917, she founded the universal war relief association at Landers. Martha Parsons held her position at Landers, Frary & Clark until her retirement in 1919. She then moved to

New Hartford, Connecticut New Hartford is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,658 at the 2020 census. The town center is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as the New Hartford Center census-designated place (CDP). The town is mainl ...

in order to live with her sisters Julia and Mary. In 1928, Parsons hired Ethel Rebecca Twining to work in the house. The two women developed a strong friendship, and Twining was even included in Parsons' will, until Twinning died. Parsons died in 1965, leaving her house to the local historical society. Her home, built in 1782 by John Meacham, is now a site on the Connecticut Women's Heritage Trail. The house was originally called Sycamore Hall, but was renamed Parsons House after Martha.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parsons, Martha 1869 births 1965 deaths American women business executives 20th-century American businesspeople Businesspeople from Connecticut 20th-century American businesswomen