George Van Greene Papers

Collection

Identifier: MU-PP-0173

Staff Only

George Van Green Collection Finding Aid

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Scope and Contents

The George Van Greene Collection contains correspondence and news articles related to the integration process at Mercer University in 1960s. The correspondence is between Greene, Mercer University faculty and staff, and Macon community members. The focus of some of the correspondence is on Sam Oni, the first African American student to attend Mercer University.

Dates

Creation: 1962-1987

Rights Statement

To quote in print, or otherwise reproduce in whole or in part in any publication, including on the World Wide Web, any material from this collection, the researcher must obtain permission from (1) the owner of the physical property and (2) the holder of the copyright. Persons wishing to quote from this collection should consult the reference archivist to determine copyright holders for information in this collection. Reproduction of any item must contain the complete citation to the original.

Biographical / Historical

George Van Greene was born in 1912 and raised in the Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. He was heavily involved in church life from an early age and had a radio program on WGST Radio in Atlanta. He graduated from Emory University in 1936 and married Minta Jackson that same year. He taught Sunday School and served as a deacon at First Baptist Church of Decatur. Greene later would serve on the Board of Trustees at Mercer University and was integral part of the integration of the university. He also was involved in growing Mercer’s College of Pharmacy. He later developed the southeast division of Regal Ware, Inc., a kitchen supplies company. Mr. and Mrs. Greene maintained a farm in Conyers, Georgia, for 30 years. The couple had four children: Genie, Tony, Gerry, and Chris. George Van Greene died on October 16, 2008, in Stone Mountain, Georgia.