oll ▁( 1 8 6 3 – 1 9 4 9 ). ▁His ▁father ▁had ▁attended ▁Y ale ▁Div inity ▁School , ▁was ▁ord ained ▁as ▁a ▁Cong reg ational ist ▁minister , ▁and ▁served ▁first ▁as ▁a ▁minister ▁for ▁a ▁pione er ▁community ▁in ▁Gree ley , ▁Colorado . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁Par s ons ' ▁birth , ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁professor ▁in ▁English ▁and ▁vice - pres ident ▁at ▁Colorado ▁College . ▁During ▁his ▁Cong reg ational ▁min istry ▁in ▁Gree ley , ▁Edward ▁had ▁become ▁sympath etic ▁to ▁the ▁Social ▁G ospel ▁movement ▁but ▁t ended ▁to ▁view ▁it ▁from ▁a ▁higher ▁the ological ▁position ▁and ▁was ▁host ile ▁to ▁the ▁ide ology ▁of ▁social ism . ▁Also , ▁both ▁he ▁and ▁Tal c ott ▁would ▁be ▁familiar ▁with ▁the ▁the ology ▁of ▁Jonathan ▁Edwards . ▁The ▁father ▁would ▁later ▁become ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁Mar iet ta ▁College ▁in ▁Ohio . ▁ ▁Par s ons ' ▁family ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁oldest ▁families ▁in ▁American ▁history . ▁His ▁ancest ors ▁were ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁arrive ▁from ▁England ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁The ▁family ' s ▁her itage ▁had ▁two ▁separate ▁and ▁independently ▁developed ▁Par s ons ▁lines , ▁both ▁to ▁the ▁early ▁days ▁of ▁American ▁history ▁deeper ▁into ▁British ▁history . ▁On ▁his ▁father ' s ▁side , ▁the ▁family ▁could ▁be ▁trac ed ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁Par s ons ▁of ▁York , ▁Maine . ▁ ▁On ▁his