John E. Parsons: An Eminent New Yorker in the Gilded Age is the
captivating biography about the life and times of a man who was a major
figure in the history of New York at the turn of the 20th century.
An attorney, philanthropist, and reformer, Parsons held a position of
respect among such Gilded Age barons as Morgan, Rockefeller and
Carnegie, helped establish institutions that became the Cooper Union for
the Advancement of Science and Art and the Memorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center, and contributed to amending the city's legal bar
association that helped put an end to the corruption of "Boss" Tweed's
Tammany Hall politicians.
When not performing his civic duties, Parsons enjoyed the country life
in his home in Lenox, Massachusetts, where his generosity made him a
beloved member of the Berkshire Hills community.
But despite his charitable works, Parsons's role as a trustee for the
Sugar Refineries Company--or "Sugar Trust"--embroiled him in a corporate
conspiracy that would threaten to tarnish his reputation as a righteous
and moral activist, and as one of New York's greatest unsung heroes. The
dramatic story of how he endured the protracted trial and publicity is a
poignant testament to his strength of character and the widespread
admiration in which he was held.
