A Democrat, he was elected to a very brief term as the 21st lieutenant governor of Nebraska - about two months in late 1938 and early 1939.

Parsons graduated from Lincoln High School in 1907 and then studied pharmacy.

[1] In 1934 he worked on publicity and speaking for the Democratic campaigns of Robert LeRoy Cochran and Edward R. Burke for governor and senator.

He presided over the first two days of the legislative term and was later officially voted thanks "for the impartial manner in which he opened and presided over the organization of the Fifty-third Session of the Nebraska Legislature".

[2] Parsons filed for election as lieutenant governor again in 1940 but lost, coming in fourth in a closely divided five-way Democratic primary won by William H.