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Sierra Club Bulletin 



EDWARD TAYLOR PARSONS: AN APPRECIATION 



By William E. Colby 



I first met Edward Taylor Parsons in the fall of 1900. Learn- 

 ing that I was Secretary of the Sierra Club, he called at my 

 office in San Francisco with a letter from the Mazama Club, 

 stating that he was interested in mountaineering, and since he 

 expected to spend considerable time in California he wished to 

 join the Sierra Club. From that day an unusually close and 

 intimate friendship sprang up between us. 



Inspired by what the Mazamas had accomplished, I had al- 

 ready proposed to the Board of Directors the plan of conducting 

 annual outings under the auspices of the Sierra Club and in 

 conjunction with the Club work. This proposal had been re- 

 luctantly indorsed by the Board, as some of the Directors had 

 doubts as to the success of the plan, and authority to conduct 

 the initial outing in the summer of 1901 had been granted. 

 There was considerable inertia to overcome and innumerable 

 problems to be solved in this venture. Mr. Parsons arrived on 

 the scene at the critical time. The frontispiece pictures him at 

 this period, in the prime of his life, possessed of tireless energy 

 and enthusiasm. His experience gained on the Mazama trips 

 proved invaluable and I had him added to the Outing Committee 

 as my chief assistant. 



It is impossible to describe adequately the debt the Club owes 

 to Mr. Parsons, or for that matter which I owe him personally, 

 for his aid and wise counsel during these early outings when 

 we were breaking groimd and overcoming the multitude of 

 difficulties that were encountered. He was ever ready to accept 

 responsibility and proved especially helpful in the organization 

 and leadership of side trips and mountain climbs. He was alert 

 to guard against possibility of accident, and while some felt that 

 his caution in this respect was excessive, doubtless there are 

 many who joined in these expeditions who have him to thank 

 for avoidance of accident which his extreme care and foresight 

 averted. 



