Frances Theodora Parsons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frances Theodora Parsons
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| Born | December 5, 1861 |
| Died | June 10, 1952 (aged 90) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | wildflower guidebooks |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Botany |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | F.Parsons |
Frances Theodora Parsons (born December 5, 1861 – died June 10, 1952) was an American nature writer. She was also known as Mrs. William Starr Dana when she first started publishing. Frances wrote many books, including a very popular guide about American wildflowers.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Frances Theodora Smith was born in New York in 1861. Her father, Denton Smith, was a tea merchant. Her mother was Harriet Shelton Smith. Frances had a sister named Alice Josephine. Alice became an artist and drew pictures for two of Frances's books. Frances went to a private school called Miss Comstock’s School. She loved plants, and this passion grew during summers with her grandparents in rural New York.
In 1884, Frances married William Starr Dana, who was a naval officer. Sadly, he passed away in 1890 during a flu outbreak. Six years later, she married James Russell Parsons. James was an educator and later a diplomat. They had a son, Russell, and a daughter, Dorothea, who died when she was very young. James also passed away in 1905 in a car accident in Mexico City.
After James's death, Frances moved to New York City. She was active in politics, supporting the Republican Party and the Progressive Party. She helped with party committees. She also helped Fiorello H. La Guardia win his campaign to lead New York's Board of Aldermen. Frances was also a strong supporter of women's suffrage, which meant women's right to vote.
Writing About Nature
After her first husband died, Frances found comfort in long walks. She often went with her friend, Marion Satterlee, who was an artist. These walks inspired Frances's first and most important book, How to Know the Wild Flowers, published in 1893. This book was the first field guide for North American wildflowers.
The book was very successful. The first printing sold out in just five days! Famous people like Theodore Roosevelt and Rudyard Kipling praised the book. How to Know the Wild Flowers was printed many times during Frances's life. It is still available today. The book organized flowers by their colors. It had 48 color pictures by Elsie Louise Shaw and 110 black-and-white pictures by Marion Satterlee.
Frances's second book, According to Season (1894), was a collection of her nature writings. She had published these writings earlier in The New York Tribune newspaper.
Her third book, Plants and Their Children (1896), was written especially for kids. It was even listed as one of the 50 best children’s books of its time.
In 1899, Frances published How to Know the Ferns. This book was a companion to her first guidebook. She wrote it partly because her husband was having money problems.
After her fourth book, Frances stopped writing for many years. Then, in 1952, when she was 90 years old, she published her life story called Perchance Some Day.
Books by Frances Theodora Parsons
Published as Mrs. William Starr Dana
- How to Know the Wild Flowers (1893). Pictures by Marion Satterlee and Elsie Louise Shaw.
- According to Season (1894). Pictures by Elsie Louise Shaw.
- Plants and Their Children (1896). Pictures by Alice Josephine Smith.
Published as Frances Theodora Parsons
- How to Know the Ferns (1899). Pictures by Marion Satterlee and Alice Josephine Smith.
- Perchance Some Day (1951). This was her autobiography, printed privately.
See also
In Spanish: Frances Theodora Parsons para niños
