John Priest Greene was born on 20. Aug. 1849 at Scotland County, Missouri. He married
Lizzie Wikoff, daughter of
Alonzo Hannibal Wikoff and
Ella McDonald, c 1888. John Priest Greene was shown in the census on 5. Jun. 1900 as a college president. In the census on 5. Jun. 1900 John Priest Greene was named John P. Green.
John Priest Greene and
Lizzie Wikoff appeared on the census of 5. Jun. 1900 at Liberty, Clay County, Missouri; 2 children, 2 living. John Priest Greene was shown in the census on 11. Apr. 1910 as a college president.
John Priest Greene and
Lizzie Wikoff appeared on the census of 11. Apr. 1910 at Liberty, Clay County, Missouri; 2 children, 2 living. John Priest Greene was shown in the census on 7. Jan. 1920 as an educator, college president.
John Priest Greene and
Lizzie Wikoff appeared on the census of 7. Jan. 1920 at Liberty, Clay County, Missouri.
John Priest Greene and
Lizzie Wikoff appeared on the census of 4. Apr. 1930 at Santa Ana, Orange County, California. John Priest Greene died on 10. Mar. 1933 at Orange County, California, at age 83.
No era of William Jewell College was more eventful than that of President John Priest Greene. For thirty-nine years, 1884-1923, he was associated with the school either as trustee or president. However, longevity does no justice to this administration.
Green was born in Scotland County, Missouri, 20 August 1849 of Virginia parentage. Converted at sixteen years of age, a Presbyterian, he reneged on confirmation until he could read the New Testament through. "I'll decide then," he had said. Somewhat later, he joined a Baptist church and was baptized.
His was a feisty boyhood. In a handwritten manuscript he described a boyish conflict with some "rowdies who came from across the tracks. They taunted us with jeers and peppered us with rocks. Out numbered, we counter attacked and promptly sent them scurrying back where they belonged. "After college, young Green enrolled at Southern Baptist Seminary in Greenville, South Carolina, and following graduation, he studied further at the University of Leipzig, Germany and began a pastorate in Louisville, Kentucky, upon returning to the states.
President Greene came to the college in 1892 from the Third Baptist Church of St. Louis. During his more than thirty years, he changed the physical composition of the campus and greatly influenced all other areas. Roads and sidewalks were laid, piped-water and sewers installed, central heating replaced wood- or coal-burning stoves, and electricity replaced coal-oil lamps. Nine permanent buildings were constructed. The college gained acceptance into the Association of American Universities and became a founding member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Through Dr. Greene's efforts, the endowment of the college also doubled, and women were first fully matriculated into the school.
President Greene had trained for the pastorate and loved preaching. He was the stated and regular speaker at the required chapel services. Former President Gordon Kingsley reports an alumnus's memory of those addresses. One address had four points--stated firmly:
1. "Keep your mouth shut"--that is, be teachable, be silent and learn. 2. "Keep your bowels open"--that is, stay healthy. 3. "Trust in God." 4."Work." The college latinized the last two points into the college motto, "Deo Fisus Labora"--trust God and work.
President Green's leadership covered several important events. He had a prominent role in setting forth what became known as The Missouri Plan for the denomination. This consisted of churches dividing their mission gifts between Northern Baptist Missionary Societies and the Mission Boards of the Southern Baptist Convention. The Missouri General Association adopted this plan in 1889. As Southern Baptist work grew stronger over the years, many churches seriously objected to such division. Therefore, on 23 October 1919, the dual alignment practice was ended with each church being expected to determine which of the denominational groups it would support.
Engaging W. D. Johnson, trustee in 1909-49, proved to be Greene's greatest contribution. Johnson, a Texan, had come to Kansas City in the late 1800s. His business prospered, enabling him to give large sums to the college after he became associated with it. A consecrated Christian layman, he sought to make education possible at William Jewell for young ministers. Hence, his gift brought the first endowed department, Religious Studies. As a cattleman, he controlled large acreage in the west where oil was discovered on his land. With this "black gold," he was able to establish a trust with the college that supported much of its activity in the depression days.
In some ways, Charles Haddon Spurgeon and William Jewell have become synonymous. This grew from President Greene's encouraging the purchase of Spurgeon's personal library of 7,000-volumes for the fabulous cost of 500 pounds or $875 American dollars. The library stresses Puritan literature, over 3,500 printed sermons, a classic collection of Bibles and hymnals, a full collection of Spurgeon's own works, and the Genevan "Breeches" Bible of 1583.
Housed also in the college library, are six large volumes by Balthasar Hubmaier, written in script, and provided through the efforts of President Greene. When secured, in 1938, W. O. Lewis, commissioner of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society, and former teacher at William Jewell, arranged for all the known manuscript material of this famous Anabaptist to be photocopied. They were later translated by professor George W. Davidson of the college's department of modern languages.
On 25 May 1923, Greene's presidency closed. He spoke in chapel that day and took for his topic "Cheerfulness and Self-control." He was speaking strongly when "the bell rang in the midst of a sentence, and Dr. Greene stopped talking--with that, thirty years of chapel talks went into history." Dr. Greene, the resident "priest" to hundreds of "his boys," as he referred to them, retired that spring to a home in California.