Parsons, Elsie Clews (1874-1941), was an American cultural anthropologist. She studied the cultures of Indigenous (native) groups in North, Central, and South America. She also recorded folk tales of Black peoples of North America and the West Indies.
In all her studies, Parsons emphasized the effect of contact between different cultures. In 1915, she traveled to the southwestern United States, where she first studied Native Americans in their homelands. She recorded specific data on Southwestern cultures and included accounts of their customs, folklore, and rituals. Parsons wrote numerous books, including Mitla: Town of the Souls (1936) and Pueblo Indian Religion (1939).
From 1918 until her death on Dec. 19, 1941, Parsons served as assistant editor of the Journal of American Folklore. In 1940, she became the first woman elected president of the American Anthropological Association.
Parsons was born on Nov. 27, 1874, in New York City. She received a Ph.D. degree in sociology from Columbia University in 1899.
