The University of Iowa Libraries

Archie Lou Greene was born to Archie Lou Shipp Greene and General Grant Greene, Jr. in 1945, and grew up in Ames, Iowa. She lived there with her grandparents and attended Ames High School, where she was active in choirs and served as student body president. Although she was offered a vocal music scholarship, Greene chose to study literature. In 1967 she received her B.A. in English from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, and went on to study for her master's degree at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). While working on that degree, Greene was stricken with a disease eventually diagnosed as spinocerebellar degeneration. This disease, similar to multiple sclerosis, made Greene's journey toward her Ph.D. from the University of Iowa an extraordinary challenge. She earned her doctorate in 1990. Greene's life in Iowa City has also included volunteering at the Iowa City Public Library and participating in the annual Hospice Road Races.

The Archie L. Greene papers date from 1963 to 1998 and measure 5 linear inches. The papers are divided into six series: Family, Personal, Education, Publicity, Writing,and Photographs. The Family series includes photocopied pages from two books, Blooming: A Small Town Girlhood (BallantineBooks, 1981) by Susan Allen Toth and Ames: The Early Years in Word and Picture (Farwell T. Brown and Heuss Printing, 1993) by Farwell T. Brown. Both contain information about Greene's family and its history in Ames. This series also includes biographical information about Greene's mother, Archie Lou Shipp Greene, and grandmother, Nellie Elmira Martin Shipp. A laminated newspaper clipping about ArchieLou Shipp Greene is shelved in the map case, drawer 2.

The Personal series consists mainly of correspondence. It also contains handwritten music and a book cover on which Greene's father copied a favorite poem. Also included in this series is an audiocassette, shelved in the audiocassette collection, containing a recording of the Ames High School choirs in which Greene sang. A letter from Greene's high school choir director Virginia Cross,which accompanied the cassette, can be found in this series in the folder with the heading "Correspondence, 1970-1982."

The Education series consists of memorabilia from Greene's educational career, including diplomas, grade reports, Greene's master's thesis title page,and materials from a Central Renaissance Conference she participated in at Indiana State University.

The Publicity series consists of promotional materials for the University of Iowa and the Iowa City Hospice Road Race, which feature Greene, and newspaper clippings about Greene. Two of the newspaper clippings are oversizedand are shelved in the map case, drawer 2.

The Writings series is divided into three subseries. The first, Speeches, contains text from Greene's acceptance speeches for awards she has received. The second subseries, Poetry, includes Greene's 1981 poem "To a Father," which was published in Iowa Woman magazine (Vol. 2, No. 4, July/August 1981). The third subseries, Correspondence, includes a 1970 letter and poetry reprints from Jack McManis, a Penn Stateteacher and friend of Greene's; and a 1991 note and poem reprint from poet Gwendolyn Brooks.

The final series, Photographs, contains snapshots of Greene's friends and relatives, University of Iowa publicity photos of Greene, and photos of the Penn State campus.

Alternate Extent Statement: 1 audiocassette [AC 413]

Access: The papers are open for research.

Use: Copyright held by the donor has been transferred to The University of Iowa.

Acquisition: The papers (donor no. 405) were donated by Archie Greene in 1997 and 1998.

Preferred Citation: Archie L. Greene papers, Iowa Women's Archives, The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City.

Repository:	Iowa Women's Archives
Address:	100 Main Library University of Iowa Libraries Iowa City, IA 52242
Phone:	319-335-5068
Curator:	Kären Mason
Email:	lib-women@uiowa.edu
Website:	http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/iwa

This collection is indexed under the following subject terms.

Personal Names:
Greene, Archie L., 1945-
Greene, Archie Lou Shipp
Shipp, Nellie Elmira Martin

Corporate Names:
University of Iowa
Pennsylvania State University

Dates:
20th century

Topics:
Women in charitable work
Charity sports events
Friedreich's ataxia
African American women

Occupations:
High school students
College students
Volunteers in social service
Authors

Geographic Names:
Ames (Iowa)
Iowa City (Iowa)

Genre/Form of Materials:
Archives
Personal papers
Photographs
Speeches
Sound recordings

Browse:
African American Women in Iowa