Claude VanCleve Parsons (October 7, 1895 – May 23, 1941) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. Born on a farm near McCormick,

Pope County, Illinois Pope County is the southeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 3,763, making it the second-least populous county in Illinois. Its county seat is Golconda. The county was organized ...

, Parsons attended the public schools. He taught in the rural schools of

from 1914 to 1922. He was graduated from Southern Illinois State Normal School at Carbondale in 1923. He moved to

Golconda, Illinois Golconda is a city in and the county seat of Pope County, Illinois, United States, located along the Ohio River. The population was 630 at the 2020 census. Most of the city is part of the Golconda Historic District. History The city is named ...

, in 1922 to become county superintendent of schools, in which capacity he served until 1930. He was also engaged as an editor and newspaper publisher from 1924 to 1930. Parsons was elected on November 4, 1930, as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

to the Seventy-first Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Thomas S. Williams and on the same day was elected to the Seventy-second Congress. He was reelected to the Seventy-third and to the three succeeding Congresses and served from November 4, 1930, to January 3, 1941. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1940 to the Seventy-seventh Congress. He was appointed first assistant administrator of the United States Housing Authority February 14, 1941, and served until his death in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, May 23, 1941. He was interred in Zion Church Cemetery, near

Ozark, Illinois Ozark is an unincorporated community in Johnson County, Illinois, United States. Ozark is south of New Burnside. and has a post office with ZIP code 62972. Ozark is also home to Camp Ondessonk, a Catholic youth camp that is run by the Diocese ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parsons, Claude VanCleve 1895 births 1941 deaths American newspaper editors Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois People from Golconda, Illinois 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives