FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

Form No. 1

File No.: 65-5818

This Case Originated At: Los Angeles.

Report Made At: Washington, D.C.

Date When Made: April 26, 1951.

Period For Which Made: 3/20; 4/4, 5, 12/51.

Report Made By: Malcolm P. Carr     mld/kwr.

Title: JOHN WHITESIDE PARSONS aka Jack Parsons.

Character of Case: ESPIONAGE — IS.

SYNOPSIS OF FACTS:

Subject's wife [Marjorie Cameron] issued passport #108673 on 8/5/47 for travel to France and England via New York for educational purposes. This passport renewed at Mexico on 8/19/49. Photograph obtained. Veterans Administration files reflect subject's wife assigned Claim #7002299 in which she claimed disability for hay fever; claim not allowable. Enlisted in Naval Service 12/9/42, at Cedar Falls, Iowa, and honorable discharged 11/16/46. at Washington, D.C. Studied under G.I. Bill of Rights at the Berlitz International Language School and at the University of Southern California. Also under G.I. Bill of Rights she had studied art at Paris, France, and at Mexico. File reflects that she apparently returned to the United States about June, 1950, giving address in Pasadena, California. No indication she is now under training. Indices, Washington Field Office, negative regarding [Redacted] and HANNON.

DETAILS:

AT WASHINGTON, D.C.

The files of the Passport Division, Department of State, reflect that MARJORIE ELIZABETH PARSONS was issued passport #108673 on August 25, 1947, for travel to France and England. The above files reflect a letter to the Passport Division which was undated from MARJORIE E. PARSONS advising that she was going to France for the purpose of studying under the G.I. Bill of Rights. She indicated that she had a letter of acceptance from the Academie Grands Chaumiere, Paris, France, and offered to submit a photostatic copy of this letter of acceptance. In the application for the passport dated August 19, 1947, she advised that she was born on April 23, 1922, at Belle Plaine, Iowa, and gave her current address, 3416 Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan Beach, California. Her mother was listed as CARRIE VIOLA RIDENOUR who was born at Belle Plaine, Iowa, October 21, 1901, and listed as her father HILL LESLIE CAMERON who was born in Chicago, Illinois, February 2, 1903. She stated that she intended to leave New York City October 22, 1947, on the SS Queen Mary and that she would visit France and England for the purpose of education. She gave as her occupation, painter (fine art). She was issued passport #108673 on August 25, 1947.

Also in the above files was an application dated August 19, 1949, for the renewal of the above passport which was executed by the subject's wife while at the Hotel La Joya, Escquiel Montes 35, Mexico. The above application for renewal was executed for the Vice Consul at the American Embassy at Mexico. She gave as her legal residence, 415 South Oakland Avenue, Pasadena, California. In the above letter she stated, "I am a painter . . . artist. I have been attending school at San Miguel da Allenda, Escuela Universiteria de Bellas Artes. Have been in Mexico as a tourist." The above passport was renewed for two years to extend to August 24, 1951, and was valid for all countries except Yugoslavia, the occupied zones, the Middle East and Trieste.

The above files contain no further pertinent information. A photograph of the wife of the subject was obtained.

Files of the Claim Division, Veterans Administration, reflect that MARJORIE ELIZABETH CAMERON PARSONS who was born at Belle Plaine, Iowa, on April 23, 1922, and resided at 1962 N. Garfield, Pasadena, California, submitted an application for pension or compensation for disability resulting from active military of Naval service. The application was undated but was block stamped by the Veterans Administration as having been received by Veterans Administration on January 28, 1946. She advised that she had entered active service on February 25, 1943, after having enlisted on December 9, 1942, in the U.S. Navy at Cedar Falls, Iowa, and that she was honorably discharged as Specialist (photographic) 3/c on November 16, 1946. She listed her Navy Serial Number, 7042910. In connection with the serial number the file contained the penciled notation, "Corrected to #7042911 on July 11, 1949." The case was assigned Claim #7002299 in which she claimed allergy — hat fever as her claim for disability and which, she states, originated August, 1943. She advised that she had been bedridden with influenza during that time. She gave as her personal civilian physician, Dr. DON NEWLAND, Belle Plaine Hospital, Belle Plaine, Iowa, and stated that she had been treated for hay fever at the United States Naval Air Station, Anacostia, and the United States Naval Hospital, Bethesda, Maryland. In the claim it was noted the father and mother of the subject's wife were residing at 1962 N. Garfield, Pasadena, California.

File contained a marriage certificate reflecting that she was married to JOHN WHITESIDE PARSONS in the presence of EDWARD and JEANNE FOREMAN, both of Pasadena, California, on October 19, 1946, at San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, California.

The file contained a letter dated November 5, 1947, from her mother, then residing at 408 Washington, El Monte, California, concerning checks from the Veterans Administration which had not been received by her daughter who was then in Paris.

Records of the Claims Office were transferred to the American Embassy at Mexico, July 21, 1949, at which time she was in training and on August 18, 1949, she gave the new address of Academie de Beaux Arts, Paris, France. On June 20, 1950, she gave the new address of 270 E. Claremont, Pasadena, California, as a change from 3212 Highland Avenue, Manhattan Beach, California.

The above files contained no further information pertinent to this investigation. It is noted, however, that the above claim was not allowed inasmuch as it was stated that hay fever is not included among allowable diseases.

The files of the Veterans Administration Rehabilitation and Education Section reflect that on December 20, 1945, under the name of MARJORIE ELIZABETH CAMERON, the subject's wife submitted an application for a course of education or training. As of September 26, 1947 she advised that she was enrolled in the Berlitz International School of Languages, 213 Burlington Avenue, Los Angeles, California, and on September 22, 1947, it is to be noted that she notified the Veterans Administration that she wished to enroll in the Academie Grands Chaumiere, Paris, France, and that she was leaving Los Angeles on October 15, 1947.

Under employment she states that in 1942 to 1943 she was employed as a fashion illustrator by HARNED von MAUR PETERSON at Davenport, Iowa, and as post war employment she states that she is a free lance fashion illustrator. Files indicate that she entered the University of Southern California in September, 1948, pursuing a course in psychology and on December 30, 1948, at her request, was given a vocational and educational guidance test or analysis by JAMES F. CRAINE, Veterans Guidance Center, University of Southern California, 737 W. Jefferson Boulevard, Los Angeles. The analysis of CRAINE is as follows.

"She is nervous but has good mental ability and possesses high interest patterns in common with successful artists, authors and social workers."

In another analysis given by CRAINE he states as follows:

"She is quite nervous and possibly has emotional instability."

In May, 1949, subject's wife was in attendance at the Universiteria de Bellas Artes in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

On July 28, 1949, she requested a change in her course in stating, "The G.I. approval ceased on the Escuela de Bellas Artes and departure from San Miguel is necessary for financial reasons." At this time she furnished a forwarding address of 3212 Highland Avenue, Manhattan Beach, California. On October 26, 1949, N. R. PATTERSON, Attaché of Veterans Affairs, Mexico, directed a letter to the subject's wife at #2 Rue de Surene, Paris, France, in which he stated that the check for subsistence which had been delivered to Calle Venustiano Carranza, Guadalajary Julisco, Mexico, was being forwarded to her.

It appeared that the above files were incomplete; however, it has been determined that there was no request for transferal of records to Paris and there is no indication in the file that the subject's wife is presently under training under the G.I. Bill of Rights.

The above file contained no further pertinent information.

The indices of the Washington Field Office, contained no record of the subject, his wife, [Redacted] or JAMES HANNON.

ENCLOSURE FOR LOS ANGELES

2 photographs and 1 negative of MARJORIE ELIZABETH PARSONS.

REFERRED UPON COMPLETION TO THE OFFICE OF ORIGIN

REFERENCE:

Report of Special Agent [Redacted], Los Angeles, dated March 8, 1951.

Washington Field Office letter to Director, New York and Los Angeles dated April 9, 1951.

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