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Above and Beyond the Call: Peter Parsons
By Todd Pearson '98
 Coming from a small, public high school in Ludlow, Vt., I had no idea how demanding life as a biology major at Holy Cross would be for me. By the time my first year ended, I was struggling through the biology courses as well as the required chemistry and math courses. High school had been relatively easy for me—and I knew that Holy Cross was going to be tough, but not this tough. I spent most of my sophomore year contemplating if I should change majors—something I did not take lightly, as I had dreamed of being a biologist for many years. In the end, I decided to continue in the biology department, in spite of my struggles and the fact that I didn’t yet feel as if I had found my “scientific stride.”
During my junior year, I decided to enroll in Peter Parsons’ immunology course. Up to that time, all I knew of Pete was that I had often seen him walking laps in the fieldhouse while I was in the old varsity weight room for my lifting sessions as a member of the crew team. Little did I know when I enrolled in that class, I would be meeting a mentor who would continue to have an impact on my life to this day. Immunology was everything that I had come to hope for out of a Holy Cross education: small class size, dynamic interactions with the professor and a focus on problem solving as opposed to rote memorization. Not that it was easy—I spent many an afternoon with Pete in his office, working at the chalkboard, trying to make sure I understood all the concepts that we had covered in lecture. He went above and beyond the call of duty by giving me his home phone number, instructing me to call him if I had more questions leading up to an exam—an offer I took him up on more than once. While I didn’t “ace” his class, for the first time I felt as if I had a true grasp of the material in a course—and was rediscovering a love of science.
As the semester progressed, I began to talk with Pete about opportunities, both immediate and in the more distant future. He helped me to decide to pursue research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester during the summer between my junior and senior years—and agreed to be my faculty mentor for an undergraduate research project at Holy Cross during my senior year. Gaining this research experience turned out to be the determining factor in my decision to go to graduate school and to study immunology when I got there.
In addition, he convinced me to enroll in his biochemistry I and II courses during my senior year—classes that, as a sophomore, I was convinced would be too hard for me to ever want to take. Just as in immunology, the courses were hard, but I still consider biochemistry the most important class I took while at Holy Cross—equally because of the material it covered—and because it gave me the confidence that I could succeed in graduate school.
Getting into graduate school wasn’t easy for me, as my grades weren’t spectacular. In the end, I decided to attend the University of Massachusetts Medical School. I probably gained a spot in that class because of two recommendations that Pete made on my behalf. The first was the recommendation he gave to my summer research mentor the year before, convincing her to have me join her lab for the summer. After the internship, I was able, in turn, to get a strong recommendation for graduate school from her. Secondly, Pete was immensely helpful in writing recommendations for my graduate school applications.
When I got to graduate school, I was truly afraid that I would fail out of school. After all, I’d had plenty of trouble at Holy Cross. Much as I expected, the work was really tough—however, I never expected that I would be as successful as I was. My struggles at Holy Cross turned into “A’s” in graduate school. I view that as a compliment of the best kind to my Holy Cross education, in general, and to Pete Parsons’ mentorship, in particular. I have since graduated with my Ph.D. (in June, 2003) and moved on to a postdoctoral research fellowship in immunology at Dartmouth Medical School. Pete’s impact on my life, however, doesn’t end here.
Soon after I first met Pete, I became aware, through our conversations, of the many research students he had mentored that had gone on to be quite successful. He would tell me of his visits with them—and it was quite a “who’s who” of Holy Cross graduates: surgeons, dentists, researchers and more.
Why was it that his former students remained so close to him? At the time, I didn’t know. Today, I am proud to be one of those students with whom he keeps in touch. During graduate school, I found myself talking about my classes and research with him. I sought out his opinion when faced with decisions about school and life. In fact, when I got married last June, Pete was the organist at our wedding.
For those of us who still get to see Pete, it is an equal effort on both his end and ours. I think he is proud of his accomplishments as a mentor and enjoys seeing his students succeed, but I think he also truly enjoys their company. For me, it is a way of saying “thank you” for his guidance—yet, more importantly, he is not only a mentor but a friend. Pete retired in 2002, so current Holy Cross students will never get to hear his stories about past students. However, for those of us who were lucky enough to have him as a professor—retirement affords him the opportunity to spend a little more time catching up with us.
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Above and Beyond the Call: Peter Parsons
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The Critical Questions: William Morse
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The Potential This Day May Hold: Helen Whall
Always Be Open to the Possibilities: Ogretta McNeil
The Liberator: Bill Grattan
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