Born in New York City, Parsons worked as a machinist, then a rock driller, before in 1889 becoming a letter carrier.
He joined the New York Letter Carriers' Association, an affiliate of the Knights of Labor, and became its master workman in 1893.
In 1898, he was additionally elected as General Master Workman, the national leader of the Knights of Labor.
[7] However, Taft did sign an executive action to secure Parson's reappointment as a letter carrier, bypassing civil service rules.
[8] Parsons was re-appointed as postmaster in Yonkers in 1914, and then from 1919 served as superintendent of the motor vehicle service of the New York City post office.