Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.

The Parsons College Foundation Fund announces new displays in the cabinets in the Alumni Hall at the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center.

Parsons College Wildcat Football in the 1960s. The 1960s brought the top football players from the Midwest and then our entire country to Parsons College. The growth of college football from being played at Fairfield High School Stadium to the new Blum Stadium allowed the great number of spectators to join in for 7,500 to 10, 000 attendees for the home games.

The vision for great growth came from our new president, Dr. Millard Roberts. He felt that the move from state/regional recognition to national recognition would provide the college with more distinction and result in more student’s wanting to attend.

Our local coaches were providing top competition in the Iowa N.A. I.A. region area and it was ready to take that to the next level. All of a sudden, the bowl selection committees took notice and wanted to have this kind of excitement a quality of teams come to their big events and therefore bring the spectators who would follow the popular winning programs.

The final season Parsons College played Tennessee A & I, with quarterback, “Jefferson Street Joe Gilliam” who went on to play for the Pittsburg Steelers from 1972-1975 and the New Orleans Saints from 1976-1977.

In a second display case a presentation of the Parsons College Ladies Auxiliary Cookbook and those of other organizations of the 1960s. Many fundraisers occurred around cookbooks in the 1960s. Also displayed are original plates cups and saucers that would have been used at dinners and tea’s during that time frame as Parsons College dinner ware pieces.