John T. Parsons Papers

Access and use

Location of collection:
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Special Collections, University Libraries (0434)
Newman Library
Virginia Tech
P.O. Box 90001
560 Drillfield Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24062-9001
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (540) 231-6308
Fax: (540) 231-3694
Restrictions:

The collection is open for research, except box 190 marked "Personal" in Division 10, which needs to be reviewed before access. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives for more information.

Terms of access:

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Preferred citation:

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], John T. Parsons Papers, Ms1987-016, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Summary

Extent:
ca. 258 Cubic Feet 204 boxes, 8 oversize folders, one artifact.
Creator:
Parsons, John T., 1913-2007
Abstract:
John T. Parsons (1913-2007) was a manufacturer and inventor of numerical control, which is the application of computer technology to manufacturing processes. The John T. Papers include correspondence, memoranda, financial records, engineering drawings and specifications, files about civic affairs in Traverse City, Michigan, reading files and other materials.
Language:
The materials in the collection are in English.
Preferred citation:

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], John T. Parsons Papers, Ms1987-016, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Background

Scope and content:

The John T. Papers include correspondence, memoranda, financial records, engineering drawings and specifications, files about civic affairs in Traverse City, Michigan, reading files and other materials.

Biographical / historical:

John T. Parsons (1913-2007) was a manufacturer and inventor of numerical control, which is the application of computer technology to manufacturing processes.

Parsons produced bombs and land mines for U.S. government during World War II. He conceived a machine tool for automatically producing aircraft structural shapes from punch card/tape input (1946); executed a contract to produce the world's first numerical control milling machine (1949) and monitored design and completion of the machine (1950-1952). Parsons also originated an aircraft operation that became the world's largest designer, producer, and overhauler of helicopter rotor blades and built the first all-composite airplane for the Office of Naval Research. He created many other processes involving computer applications to manufacturing and received approximately fifty U.S. patents in the fields of numerical control, marine propellers, foundry systems, and data acquisition manufacturing methods.

Parsons served as president and owner of the Parsons Corporation of Traverse City, Michigan, Detroit, Michigan, and Stockton, California (1954-1968). He was then president and owner of the John T. Parsons Company, Traverse City, Michigan (1968-1986).

Among his numerous awards, Parsons was the first recipient of the Numerical Control Society's Joseph Marie Jacquard Award as the Father of Numerical Control (1968), a recipient of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Engineering Citation as the person whose brilliant conceptualization of numerical control marked the beginning of the second industrial revolution (1975), recipient of the National Medal of Technology (1985), and recipient of the National Tooling and Machining Association's Distinguished Service Award (1987).

He died in Traverse City, Michigan at the age of 93.

Acquisition information:
The collection was acquired by Special Collections and University Archives in 1988 and 1999.
Processing information:

The processing, arrangement, and description of the John T. Parsons Papers was completed in September 2023, as part of the project, "Piercing the Veil: Creating Access to the Archives of American Aerospace Exploration at Virginia Tech," funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into the ten series and some with subseries. These series and subseries have been imposed by archivists but are based on Parson's original order and description. Materials have been kept in original order where possible. Arrangement is chronological, then alphabetical where applicable.

Series I. Division 1: Corporate Office, 1940-1992, n.d.

  • Subseries A. Corporate Office General, 1943-1992, n.d.
  • Subseries B. ParCor Financial Records, 1945-1969, n.d.
  • Subseries C. Personnel, 1942-1972, n.d.
  • Subseries D. Labor, 1952-1972
  • Subseries E. Board of Directors Minutes, 1956-1968
  • Subseries F. Corporate History, 1916-1960, n.d.
  • Subseries G. Operations Control Systems, 1954-1968
  • Subseries H. Corporate Office Master Files, 1948-1967, n.d.
  • Subseries I. Corporate Office New Construction, 1942-1968, n.d.
  • Subseries J. Patents and Legal Documents, 1940-1960
  • Subseries K. MIT, 1951-1956, 1991-1992
Series II. Division 2: Automotive Division, 1937-1971, n.d.

Series III. Division 3: Appliance Division, 1924-1962, n.d.

  • Subseries A. General Correspondence, 1924-1951, n.d.
  • Subseries B. Products, 1941-1962, n.d.
Series IV. Division 4: Ordnance Division, 1933-1967, n.d.

Series V. Division 5: Aircraft Division, 1923, 1941-1992, n.d.

  • Subseries A. Foreign Activities, 1953-1968, n.d.
  • Subseries B. General, 1923, 1942-1978, n.d.
  • Subseries C. Helicopter Rotor Blades, 1943-1971, n.d.
  • Subseries D. Numerical Control, 1941-1992, n.d.
  • Subseries E. Special Products, 1943-1982, n.d.
  • Subseries F. North America Rockwell, 1955-1956, 1964-1976, n.d.
Series VI. Division 6: Subsidiaries Division, 1957-1977, n.d.

Series VII. Division 7: Minor Products Division, 1943-1966, n.d.

Series VIII. Division 8: John T. Parsons Company, 1944-2000, n.d.

  • Subseries A. Financial/Legal, 1944-1994, n.d.
  • Subseries B. Correspondence, 1948-1998, n.d.
  • Subseries C. Controllable Pitch Propeller, 1946-1980, 1993, n.d.
  • Subseries D. Computer Bilt, 1949-1989, n.d.
  • Subseries E. Wind Energy Systems, 1964-1990, n.d.
  • Subseries F. ParJon Master Files, 1968-1984
  • Subseries G. Consulting, 1956-2000, n.d.
  • Subseries H. Punch Presses, 1959-1984, n.d.
  • Subseries I. HITCO and Whittaker, 1960-1982
  • Subseries J. Ariel Files, 1989-1990
  • Subseries K. Marathon Files, 1974-1977, 1980-1990, n.d.
  • Subseries L. Nimble Keyboard, 1962-1989, n.d.
  • Subseries M. Michigan Reports, 1970-1991, n.d.
  • Subseries N. Pallet Manufacturing, 1969-1991, n.d.
  • Subseries O. Motor Coach, 1968-1973, n.d.
  • Subseries P. Newspaper Articles, 1981-1991, n.d.
  • Subseries Q. Digitron, 1948-1993, n.d.
  • Subseries R. General, 1965-1996, n.d.
Series IX. Division 9: Personal, 1910-1997, n.d.
  • Subseries A. Industrial Brochures, 1951-1994, n.d.
  • Subseries B. Trade Journals and Magazines, 1958-1990, n.d.
  • Subseries C. Civic Ombudsman, 1967-1978, n.d.
  • Subseries D. Environment, 1966-1985
  • Subseries E. Filed Clippings, 1963-1991
  • Subseries F. Community Involvement, 1927-1990, n.d.
  • Subseries G. Parsons Reading Files, 1961-1969, n.d.
  • Subseries H. Financial Reports of Other Companies, 1950-1985
  • Subseries I. Traverse City, 1943-1995, n.d.
  • Subseries J. John T. Parsons Personal Records, 1931-1996, n.d.
  • Subseries K. Correspondence, 1930-1997, n.d.
  • Subseries L. Swedish Affairs, 1916, 1938-1983, 1996
  • Subseries M. Music, 1950, 1964, 1971-1982
  • Subseries N. General, 1910-1994, n.d.
  • Subseries O. Society of Manufacturing Engineers, 1972-1996
  • Subseries P. Ferris and State Jobs, 1961-1990, n.d.
Series X. Division 10: Posters, Drawings, and Artifacts, 1947-1948, 1958-1978, 1984, 1990-1992, n.d.

Physical location:
Please note: This collection is in off-site storage and requires 2-3 days notice for retrieval. Please contact Special Collections and Universtiy Archives for more information.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard