Hinsdill Parsons papers,
- Author:
- Parsons, Hinsdill, 1864-1912.
- Call Number:
- MSS APAP-293 local
- Abstract:
- The Hinsdill Parsons collection contains 2 cubic feet of paper records from Parsons' employment at General Electric, as well as personal and financial papers. The majority of the collection is comprised of correspondence between Parsons and various professional and personal contacts. The collection also includes financial reports from GE and other companies on which Parsons served as a board member or trustee. Other areas of interest include records of stock and bond transactions, both professional and personal, and several maps of areas affected by GE-affiliated railway or utilities companies. This collection covers the years 1890-1912, with the bulk of the documents dating from 1900-1912. The GE and other financial documents deal primarily with investments in the United States; the majority of the documents are related to upstate New York matters, although interests in other locations include Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Oregon. GE and Parsons were also involved in activities in Europe and Mexico. Parsons kept records of the clubs and organizations of which he was a member, including meeting minutes and dues records. Other personal documents include legal documents such as insurance papers and estate records, as well as correspondence with and financial advice given to friends and family members.
- Historical Note:
- Hinsdill Parsons, Esq. was born on February 10, 1864 in Hoosick Falls, New York, the son of J. Russell Parsons. One of five sons, Parsons attended Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, graduating in 1884. In college, Parsons joined Phi Beta Kappa and Delta Psi fraternities. He attended Albany Law School and graduated in 1885; he was admitted to the New York State Bar in the same year. In September 1889, he married Jessie Mary Burchard in Hoosick Falls, NY. In the same year, Parsons also became patent attorney for the Walter A. Wood Harvester Company in Hoosick Falls, of which his father was an incorporator. He left for Schenectady in 1894 to serve as General Counsel for the General Electric Company. In May 1901, he was given control of GE's legal affairs and was elected vice-president of the company. At this time, Parsons was also elected President of the Schenectady Railroad Company. During his tenure with GE, Parsons was involved with various company anti-trust legal issues. Parsons served on the board of directors for the Electric Bond and Share, the Washington Water Power, and the Knickerbocker Trust Companies, as a trustee for the GE Investment Club, co-president of the Bully Hill Copper Mining & Smelting Company, and was a member of the University Club and the American Academy of Political and Social Science. In a letter dated November 22nd, 1897, Parsons divulges to Mr. W.V. Baker of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company that his two life insurance policies held by Northwestern state differing birthdates because he is unsure of his age. No mention of his mother has been found in either Parsons' records or in research materials. On April 28th, 1912, Parsons died in a car accident. He is buried in Vale Cemetery in Schenectady, NY.
- Physical Description:
- 2.0 cu. ft
- Access Terms:
- Access to the collection is unrestricted.
- Notes:
- Part of the Archives of Public Affairs and Policy. local
- Subjects:
- Financial statements, Letters, Contracts, Legal documents, Insurance policies, Stocks United States, Syndicates (Finance), Bonds United States, Electric utilities, Bonds, Contracts, Electric utilities, Financial statements, Insurance policies, Legal documents, Letters, Stocks, and Syndicates (Finance)
- Genres/Forms:
- letters (correspondence) aat, Minutes. aat, contracts. aat, Clippings, newspaper. aat, financial records. aat, financial statements. aat, and History
- Names:
- Parsons, Hinsdill, 1864-1912, Parsons, Jessie B, Parsons, J. Russell, Sr, Parsons, J. Russell, Jr, Coffin, Charles A. (Charles Albert), 1844-1926, and Burchard, Anson
- Corporate Names:
- General Electric Company, Walter A. Wood Mowing and Reaping Machine Company, Chicago City Railway Company, Chicago Edison Company, Schenectady Railway Company, Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company, National Electric Lamp Company, Standard Light and Power Company, American Gas and Electric Company, Central Colorado Power Company, Carnegie Trust Company, United States Mortgage and Trust Company, Great Northern Power Development Company, Guanajuato Power and Electric Company, Philadelphia Electric Company, Portland Gas and Electric Company, Schenectady Trust Company, Stanislaus Electric Power Company, Knickerbocker Trust Company, New York, Washington Water Power Company, University Club (New York, N.Y.) History, American Gas and Electric Company, Chicago City Railway Company, Chicago Edison Company, Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company, General Electric Company, Philadelphia Electric Company, United States Mortgage and Trust Company, Walter A. Wood Mowing and Reaping Machine Company, and Washington Water Power Company
- Geographic Terms:
- New York (State), New York (State), and United States
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