History of the Agency

Parsons & Associates, Inc. was founded in June 1930 by John C. Parsons upon his graduation from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. John was the first Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) in Syracuse. The agency was incorporated as John C. Parsons, Inc. in December 1958.

John C. Parsons

At the beginning, the agency was a life insurance agency, and property and casualty business was brokered. In 1932, a predecessor of Kemper appointed the agency for Property & Casualty Insurance.

John Parsons was a founder of the Mutual Agents Association of New York, which today is known as PIA (Professional Insurance Agents). He dedicated many years to the development of the insurance industry and charitable community service in Central New York. At the time of his death, John was the longest serving Rescue Mission Trustee.

In September 1962, after his graduation from Dartmouth College and active military service in Germany as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, John’s son Charles R. Parsons joined the agency as a sales agent, replacing the then recently retired agent Kenneth T. Midbust.

After John Parsons’ death in November 1973, the agency was purchased and continued by his son.

1980 marked the inception of both the agency’s sportfishing charterboat insurance program and the dental professional liability program.

In 1986, Charles’ wife, Elfriede A. Parsons, joined the agency as Senior Vice President, where for 20 years, she worked in professional liability and program development, until retiring in 2006.

Following graduation from SUNY College at Brockport in 1986 with a B.S. majoring in Business Administration, Charles’ son John C. Parsons, II joined the firm. Son Robert M. Parsons followed him in 1989 upon his completion of a B.S. in Business Administration from the Boston University School of Management. Today, the founder’s grandsons serve as Executive Vice President and President, respectively.

Parsons & Associates, Inc. places and services personal and commercial insurance protection for virtually all types of risk. Agency clients range from small personal insurance consumers to small and medium sized professional, retail/wholesale and manufacturing accounts.

The agency specializes in providing complete insurance service including risk management advice to personal, professional and commercial clients alike. Many businesses unable to staff a resident risk and insurance administrator rely on our agency for assistance with such services. A customer service associate is assigned to each client based upon his or her needs.

Companies represented by Parsons & Associates, Inc. include Chubb Recreational Marine, CNA Insurance Companies, Encompass Insurance, The Hartford, New York Central Mutual, Travelers Personal Insurance and Voya Retirement Services.

The agency is also a licensed Insurance Broker and an Excess Lines Broker, licenses that enable the firm to place business with other insurance carriers, based upon the client’s needs.