Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/426

 GREENE

GREENER

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^t-cetd^ —.

GREENE, William Stedman, lepieseutative, was born in Tremont, Tazewell county, 111., April 28, 1841; son of Chester Washington and Abby Stone (Stedman) Greene; grandson of William Fones and Abby (Sheldon) Greene and of Judge Bial and Mary Prescott (Miles) Stedman, great- grandson of Job, great- grandson of Job, great^ grandson of James, great' grandson of James, and great^ grandson of John Greene, who came from Southamp- ton, England, with his wife and family, arrived at Boston, Mass., June 3, 1635, and from religious persecution was

forced to leave the col- ony, settling in War- wick, R.I. William removed with his parents to Fall River, Mass., in 1844, and was educated in the public schools of that city. He was a clerk in an insurance office, 1858-0.5, and began business as auctioneer, real estate and insurance agent in 1866. He was mar- ried in 1866 to Mary E. White of Fall River. He was a member of the common council, 1876-79, and president of that body, 1877-79. He was mayor of Fall River in 1880; and was reelected in 1881, but resigned the same year having been appointed postmaster by President Garfield. He was again mayor in 1886; was defeated for that office in 1887 and 1888, and was general superin- tenilent of prisons for the state of Massachusetts, 1888-03, when he was i-emoved by the Democratic governor. He was an unsuccessful candidate for

mayor of

Fall River

-/^':^in -1894,

but was

' elected in

. 1895, 1896,

' 1897,

i de-


 * ('lined re-

^ nomination

in 1898. In

his inaugural address as mayor in January', 1895, he recommended the erection of a public library building, and as chairman of the committee on public instruction and of the board of trustees of the public library he was largely instrumental in carrying through the project. He laid the cornerstone in September, 1896, and the building was completed in 1898. He was appointed post- master of Fall River in 1898, but resigned the

FALL RIVER PUBLIC LIBRARY.

'Muac

office upon being elected a Republican represent- ative in the 55th congress. May 31, 1898, to till the une.xpired term of John Simpkins, and he was re-elected to the 56tli, 57tli, and 58th con- gresses, 189S-10O.").

GREENER, Richard Theodore, diplomatist, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 30, 1844. He stuclied at Oberliu college and Phillips Andover academy, and was graduated with honors from Harvard in 1870. He was principal of the Male Department institute at Philadelphia, Pa., in 1870, and of the Sum- ner high school at Washington, D.C., in 1873. While in this position he became associate editor of the Nkw National Era and Citizen. He was a clerk in the office of the attorney of the District of Columbia. In October, 1873, he was elected professor of mental and moral philosophy and logic in the Universit3" of South Carolina ; assistant instructor in Latin and Greek, mathematics, and constitutional history, and acted as librarian from May to November, 1875, rearranging and beginning a catalogue of the 27,000 volumes, and meanwhile pursvjing the study of law. He was graduated from the law department of the University of South Carolina in 1876, and was admitted to practice in the supreme court of that state Dec. 20, 1876. He ■was a member of the board of health of Colum- bia, S.C, 1875-77, and was elected by the state legislature a member of the commission to revise the school system of South Carolina. He testi- fied before the committee of congress on the condition of affairs in South Carolina in 1877; was appointed to a clerkship in the post-office department, Washington, D.C., May 22, 1877, and after passing a civil service examination, he was appointed by Secretary Sherman a first class clerk in the treasury department, July 26, 1877. He was admitted to practice in the supreme court of the District of Columbia. April 14, 1877; was dean of the law liepartment of Howard uni- versity, succeeding Prof. John H. Cook, serving 1877-80, and began active practice of the law in 1878 as a member of the firm of Cook & Greener. He was appointed law clerk to Judge William Lawrence, comptroller of the state of Ohio, and helped to edit the first three volumes of " Law- rence's Reports " ; was secretary of the congres- sional exodus committee, presided over by Senator Voorhees, and with C. J. Tandy raised 820,000 for