They may have some light to moderate flaws like small tears, spots, library stamps etc. My Four Years at Parsons College tells story of - Fairfield President Millard Roberts of Iowa's Parsons College (TIME, Aug. 29, 1960) has plenty of ideas about educationsome good, some bad. By Joyce Gabbert. [2] The school played its final season of football in 1970. Although Roberts has never again been asked to be a college president, he is still in the education business. Ultimately, the estate yielded about $37,000. Now lets give Seda a round of applause, shell be taking over for next week!! Young recalls enjoying her art, history and religion classes in particular. My experience at Parsons has been an exceptional one! "Education is a field that is very vindictive. TV review - "The Dick Van Dyke Show" quits while it's ahead. Selection of the site was left to them with the stipulation that the college be placed under the control and supervision of the Presbyterian Church. OTHER GREAT ARTICLES IN THIS MAGAZINE INCLUDE: THE ROMANS PART V: THE CAESARS MADMEN, STATESMEN AND SAINTS WIZARD OF FLUNK-OUT U.-MILLARD G. ROBERTS , IOWA'S PARSONS COLLEGE ELECTRIC GUITARS BRING A RASH OF TEEN-AGE COMBOS iT'S MONEY MUSIC (PHOTOS NICE!) The faculty received only half their pay that year. ", Young said a number of those students arrived at Parsons because they had flunked out of an eastern school. He paid some professors annual salaries of $35,000 and himself $75,000. Learn More. THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AND . For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Tree moved to Fairfield from Illinois, and taught at the college for 18 years until it closed. When Millard Roberts arrived on the Parsons scene in 1955, he brought with him a consuming personal ambition and a flair for making headlines. Roberts found champions for most of his ideas, but he aroused the ire of the academic world when he contended that colleges would make a profit by applying the principles of corporate management. Roberts' initial objectives were to boost enrollment and expand the college's physical plant. My Four Years at Parsons College tells story of - Fairfield Parsons College: Died At 98 These issues are extremely nice. Enrollment continued to drop. ; Albert Lea, Minn.; Beatrice, Neb. One of the first acts of the board was the purchase of a 20-acre campus at the north edge of Fairfield, including a brick residence built by Bernhard Henn in 1857. A New York merchant started it all and New York preacher -- in the minds of many -- finished it. The school was named for its wealthy benefactor, Lewis B. Parsons Sr., and was founded in 1875 with one building and 34 students. Articles, Antique Books: Go Ahead and Judge the Covers. We want to hear from you! At the heart of a comprehensive university The New School Parsons draws on a range of academic fields to deliver a uniquely interdisciplinary education enriched by the resources of its home in New York City and branch campus in Paris. Now Ewing Hall, it was known as "The Mansion" when classes opened there on Sept. 8, 1875. George Parsons' son, Willis, was a board member from 1902 to 1931 and served as president from 1904 to 1913. Parsons The first students at Parsons enjoyed few of the attractive features associated with modern col lege life. Directly responsible for the scheduling of lifeguards, pool parties, swim meets, CPR, First Aid and Lifeguard certification classes. For me spring means spending more time outdoors, seeing trees blossom, perfect weather to dress up, and going to food festivals. Other colleges began to say that we were giving degrees away, and that was not true.". They teach you new ways of thinking and always have your best interest in mind. In 1955 the school appointed Millard G. Roberts as its president and this began a period of rapid expansion with the student population rising as high as 5,000 by 1966. Students sat around talking on the steps of the administration building several days after the college closed. In 1966 Life Magazine published an article criticizing Roberts and the college, calling him "The Wizard of Flunk Out U". [1], The college rebounded by raising funds from board members and other local residents for new construction. On the new campus I got along fine; when I entered Carter Drive it was a different story. If the administration wasn't such a mess this school would be a 10/10. By Andy Hallman, The Parsons estate included extensive land holdings in seven Iowa counties, but at the time of the founding of the college, only $4,016.65 was available in cash.