THE SACRAMENTO BEE

Sacramento, California, USA

18 June 1952

(page 10)

Chemist Dies in Blast,

Mother Kills Herself

Army ordnance experts searched the ruined interior of a garage today for the cause of an explosion which killed John W. Parsons [Jack Parsons], 31, a chemist, and resulted in the apparent suicide of his mother, Mrs. Ruth Virginia Parsons, 58.

The explosion apparently occurred accidentally while Parsons was packing chemicals in a box.

Officers said his mother is believed to have taken sleeping tablets after she was informed of her son’s death.

Parsons, a rocket expert, died in the Huntington Memorial Hospital about an hour after the blast which demolished his laboratory on the ground floor of an apartment building on the grounds of the former Busch estate here.

Given Tablets

Police Officer Lieutenant John C. Elliot said Mrs. Parsons was administered two sleeping tablets by a friend on the orders of her physician after she had been informed of Parson’s death.

Elliott said when the friend, Mrs. Nedia Kibort, 59, left the room for a moment, Mrs. Parsons apparently gulped most of the remaining tablets in the bottle.

Officers said he was preparing to leave for Mexico on a job assignment when the explosion occurred.

The blast smashed the floors and walls and tore a gaping hole in the ceiling of the laboratory. No one else was injured.

Officers said remnants of bottles marked “explosives” were found in the building.

Ordnance experts from Ft. MacArthur were called to look for additional dangerous chemicals. Parsons residence will be inspected by the experts in case he stored additional explosives there.

Parsons is survived by his wife, Marjorie [Majorie Cameron Parsons], who had intended to go to Mexico with him.

Consulting Chemist

Robert Cameron, 28, brother in law of Parsons, said the chemist formerly was connected with Caltech. He left that institution in 1946 and since had been employed as a consulting chemist with many firms in this area.

Cameron said Parsons was recognized as one of the foremost authorities on rocket propulsion and aided in the establishment of the jet propulsion laboratory at Caltech.