Sara Bedell Perry was born April 18, 1912 in Canton, Georgia, Cherokee County. After her parents divorced, Sara moved to Atlanta with her mother and spent her high school years here. Sara married George Raymond Mitchell in June of 1933 and had two children: Ray Mitchell Jr. and Susan Rogers Perry Mitchell. She served as president of the League of Women Voters of Atlanta from 1958-1963, and was awarded Atlanta's Good Neighbor of the Year 1965. She divorced in 1965 and married Thomas S. Parsons, a Humboldt State University professor in December of 1968. She continued her social activism in Humboldt County, California, until 1986 when she returned to Atlanta, Georgia. She was named 1994 Role Model of the Year by the Older Women's League in Atlanta. She published her memoir, FROM SOUTHERN WRONGS TO CIVIL RIGHTS in 2000.
From the description of Sara Mitchell Parsons papers, 1933-2002. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 181099774
Sara Mitchell Parsons was born in Canton, Georgia in 1912, and graduated from Atlanta Girl's High in 1930. After high school, Parsons completed a total of two years of public affairs coursework at Georgia Evening School (now Georgia State University), Emory University, Humboldt State University, College of the Redwoods, and Mills College. After college, Parsons began a lengthy career in public affairs as a member of the Atlanta Board of Education (1961-1968). After moving to California, she served as an elected member from the 3rd District to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, the first woman elected in the 120-year history of the county. From 1977 until 1980, Parsons served as board representative for several different organizations, including the County Mental Health Advisory Board, the Juvenile Delinquency Commission, the CETA Advisory Board (Chairman), the Redwood Region Economic Development Commission, the Courthouse Beautification Committee (Chairman), the Eureka Chamber of Commerce, and the Convention and Tourist Bureau. She also served as the chair of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors in 1980. From 1978 until 1980, Parsons was the governor's appointee to the California Solar/Cal Committee as well as vice-chair of the Employment Steering Committee of the National Association of Counties (1979-1980). Parsons was also elected by the Democratic Party of Northern California as a delegate to the National Democratic Convention in New York City in 1980. In addition to a career in politics, Parsons also participated in various community service projects. She served as president of the North Fulton High School PTA (1956-1958), a member of the Official Board of the St. James Methodist Church (1958-1963), and as president of the Atlanta League of Women Voters from 1958 until 1960. She also acted as a visiting lecturer at Emory University and was invited by President Lyndon Johnson to the White House Conference on Education in 1965. In the same year, Parsons was awarded the Atlanta "Good Neighbor of the Year" award. Recently, Parsons completed the book From Southern Wrongs to Civil Rights that chronicles her transformation into a civil rights activist and her friendship with Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
From the description of Sara Mitchell Parsons oral history interview [sound recording], 1999 May 5. (Georgia State University). WorldCat record id: 289021155
