Joseph Kingsbury Greene papers, 1857 -- 1917

Creator:
Greene, Joseph Kingsbury, 1834-1917
Abstract:
Joseph Kingsbury Greene was an American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions Congregational missionary in Turkey for fifty-one years, stationed in Nicodemia, Bursa, and Manisa. He was fluent in Armenian and Turkish languages. The collection contains Greene's diaries from 1859 through 1917, Greene's correspondence with members of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and others, and Greene's handwritten English and Armenian dictionaries.
Extent:
5 linear feet 5 linear feet; 10 boxes
Language:
English , Armenian .
Scope and content:

This collection contains Greene's diaries from 1859 through 1917, which include day-to-day entries as well as sermons; Greene's correspondence with members of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and others, as well as newspaper articles which Greene copied into the book in Armenian; and Greene's handwritten English and Armenian dictionaries.

Biographical / historical:

Reverend Joseph Kingsbury Greene was born to David and Lyntha (Miller) Green on April 10, 1834 in Auburn, Maine. He attended and graduated from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine in 1855. Greene became engaged to Elizabeth Augusta Davis, whom he wed in 1857 once she graduated from Mount Holyoke Seminary. Greene attended Union Theological Seminary and after graduation in 1858, was accepted by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and ordained in November. He was stationed for three years in Nicomedia, Turkey, arriving in March 1859. Greene quickly learned the Armenian alphabet and created a dictionary of English, Armenian, Turkish and Greek words. Greene was also stationed in Bursa in 1862 for six years, and after a furlough in 1868 in Minnesota, went to Manisa in June 1871. Greene was invited to Constantinople in 1862 to edit the ABCFM-published weekly religious paper, Avedaper, written in Armenian, Armeno-Turkish, and Greco-Turkish, and three illustrated monthly papers for children. The newspapers were strictly controlled by the Turkish government. Greene edited the papers for twelve years. He took a second furlough to Illinois in 1884, and received the Doctor of Divinity from Bowdoin at this time. Greene began his third missionary trip to Constantinople in 1886, and was stationed there for seven years. Elizabeth died in 1894, after which he took a third furlough the same year. Joseph married his second wife, missionary Mathilde Hermine Meyer, in September 1895, and they returned to Constantinople in November. Greene served until 1910, when he retired and returned to America. Joseph Kingsbury Greene died in Oberlin, Ohio on February 10, 1917.

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research.

Onsite storage.

Terms of access:

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Preferred citation:

Item description, MRL 2: Joseph Kingsbury Greene papers, 1857-1917, series #, box #, folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.

Location of this collection:
Burke Home Page
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