Brooks Parsons, superintendent of New Richmond schools from
1953-1962, died Tuesday April 29 at the age of 90.
Parsons, who began his career at New Richmond as a teacher
and varsity boys basketball coach, was partly responsible for the creation of
the New Richmond Exempted Village School District in an effort that also involved
President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Judge John W. Hausermann, the gold king of
the Philippines.
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| Former NREVSD Supt. Brooks Parsons, pictured with current New Richmond Supt. Adam Bird as a recent conference, died Tuesday, April 29, at the age of 90 |
Parsons and the school board got word in the mid 1950s that
the other school districts in Clermont County had met twice to form a county
wide school district and get the tax revenue from the Beckjord Power Plant from
New Richmond.
“We learned they had scheduled a third meeting to vote on
county consolidation so I chartered a plane to fly to Columbus and submit our
application to become an exempted village school district,” recalled Parsons
last fall.
“The state questioned
if we were large enough to get exempted village status and we couldn’t get the
Census Department to do a special census so we had Judge Hausermann contact
President Eisenhower who ordered a special census for us.”
Hausermann, a Spanish American War veteran who remained in
the Philippines after the war and controlled the largest gold mine in the
islands, met Eisenhower when the former general and president served in the
Philippines under Gen. Douglas McArthur. Hausermann returned to New Richmond in the
1930s.
New
Richmond got its special census but in the end it did not matter as Pierce
Township, and later Monroe Township, consolidated with New Richmond and our
size was no longer an issue.
Parsons, who was also superintendent of Norwood schools, won two county championships as New Richmond’s basketball coach in 1950-51 and 1951-52.
Parsons, who was also superintendent of Norwood schools, won two county championships as New Richmond’s basketball coach in 1950-51 and 1951-52.
Parsons was the husban of Betty C. Parsons and was a WWII
Coast Guard Veteran. He was the father
of John (Elvira), Randall (Rebecca) and
Dean (Shawn) Parsons. Grandfather of Matthew, Errol, Daniel, Devon and Kelby.
Visitation for Mr. Parsons will be held Friday, May 2nd,
6-7pm with funeral following at 7pm at Strawser Funeral Home, 9503 Kenwood Rd.,
Blue Ash, OH 45242. The family will observe private burial services at Rest
Haven Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Loveland United Methodist Church. Condolences to the family at www.strawserfuneralhome.com.
