Archives at Cornell

Lilly Parsons Papers

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: 6903

Scope and content

Files documenting Lilly Parsons' advocacy for her sister Elsie who lived with mental illness, involvement with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Finger Lakes Alliance for the Mentally Ill (FLAMI), and advocacy against the closing of the Willard Psychiatric Center in 1995. Included are articles on mental illness and support for family members and Parsons' letters to Hilary Clinton, Gov. Pataki, Congressman Matt McHugh, and others.

Dates

1969-2002.

Creator

Parsons, Lempi H. "Lilly, ", 1931-2010. (Person)

Language of Material

In English.

Biographical / Historical

Born December 10, 1931 in Ithaca, NY, Lempi was one of 13 children of George Elias Huhtanen and Ada Marie Muje Huhtanen. She had various jobs at Cornell, the Ithaca City Court Clerk office, in mail-order publishing, antique dealing, and life insurance underwriting. She had many volunteer activities and interests, including the March of Dimes, local history events, folk dancing, ornithology, and her Finnish heritage. In 1968, she founded the Finger Lakes Finns organization.