William Woods Parsons (May 18, 1850 – September 28, 1925) is best known as being the former president of Indiana State Normal School, now known as Indiana State University.

Early life

William Wood Parsons was born in

Terre Haute Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

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 Douglas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 19,740. The county seat is Tuscola. History Douglas County was formed in 1859 out of Coles County. It was named for Steph ...

in 1862. After Parsons graduated from

Tuscola High School Tuscola High School is a public senior high school located in Waynesville, North Carolina, United States, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west-southwest of Asheville. Tuscola High School succeeded the original Waynesville Township High School dur ...

he returned to Terre Haute in 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 Tuscola is a city in Douglas County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,480 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Douglas County. Geography Tuscola is located at (39.797682, -88.281564). According to the 2010 census, Tuscola ...

followed by

Gosport Gosport ( ) is a town and non-metropolitan borough on the south coast of Hampshire, South East England. At the 2011 Census, its population was 82,662. Gosport is situated on a peninsula on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour, opposite t ...

and

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

. Parsons returned to Indiana State Normal as a teacher of grammar and composition in 1876.

Administrative years

In 1883, Parsons was promoted to Vice-President of Indiana State Normal School. He became president of the institution on July 1, 1885. Parsons retired in September 1921. William Wood Parsons died in his home in Terre Haute on September 28, 1925.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parsons, William W. 1850 births 1925 deaths Indiana State University people People from Terre Haute, Indiana People from Tuscola, Illinois