▁Par s ons ▁met ▁at ▁the ▁Center ▁of ▁Advanced ▁Studies ▁in ▁the ▁Be havior al ▁Sciences ▁at ▁Pal o ▁Al to ▁was ▁Alfred ▁L . ▁K roe ber , ▁the ▁" de an ▁of ▁American ▁anth rop olog ists ". ▁K roe ber , ▁who ▁had ▁received ▁his ▁Ph D ▁at ▁Columbia ▁and ▁who ▁had ▁worked ▁with ▁the ▁A rap aho ▁Indians , ▁was ▁about ▁ 8 1 ▁when ▁Par s ons ▁met ▁him . ▁Par s ons ▁had ▁the ▁greatest ▁adm iration ▁for ▁K roe ber ▁and ▁called ▁him ▁" my ▁favorite ▁elder ▁states man ". ▁ ▁In ▁Pal o ▁Al to , ▁K roe ber ▁suggested ▁to ▁Par s ons ▁that ▁they ▁write ▁a ▁joint ▁statement ▁to ▁clarify ▁the ▁distinction ▁between ▁cultural ▁and ▁social ▁systems , ▁then ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁end less ▁deb ates . ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁Par s ons ▁and ▁K roe ber ▁published ▁their ▁joint ▁statement ▁in ▁a ▁short ▁article , ▁" The ▁Con cept ▁of ▁Culture ▁and ▁the ▁Social ▁System ", ▁which ▁became ▁highly ▁influ ential . ▁ ▁Par s ons ▁and ▁K roe ber ▁declared ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁important ▁both ▁to ▁keep ▁a ▁clear ▁distinction ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁concepts ▁and ▁to ▁avoid ▁a ▁method ology ▁by ▁which ▁either ▁would ▁be ▁reduced ▁to ▁the ▁other . ▁ ▁Later ▁career ▁ ▁Public ▁con ferences ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁fac ulty ▁members ▁at ▁Corn ell ▁University ▁met ▁regularly ▁and ▁discussed ▁Par s