This collection is open for research.
Onsite storage.
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.
This series contains Greene's original handwritten diaries, including day-to-day entries as well as sermons. While in Turkey, Greene commuted hundreds of miles from his home base to meet with teachers and other Christians in the area; these visits are recorded. Greene and his first wife experienced frequent sicknesses of malaria, and were granted leaves of absence in order to recover in Europe. Greene also traveled for conferences and to address other missionary aid societies. Each entry includes the location and date, and often the weather. Greene also comments on events happening throughout the world, including Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860.
This series contains handwritten copies of correspondence sent to various people, including other members of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. It also includes newspaper articles which Greene copied into the book and which are written in Armenian.
Dictionary and sermons, 1857 -- 1909
This series contains Greene's original handwritten English and Armenian dictionaries. He started the dictionary in 1859 in Nicomedia, Turkey, when he started his missionary work. Greene also kept a separate book of Armenian words which he prepared as he began to learn the language.
Missionary Research Library Archives: MRL2, Near/Middle East
This collection is organized in three chronological series: Diaries, Correspondence, and Dictionary and sermons.
This collection is open for research.
Onsite storage.
Some material in this collection may be protected by copyright and other rights. Information concerning copyright, fair use, and reproduction requests can be consulted at Columbia's Copyright Advisory Office.
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.
MRL 12: American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions records, 1878-1958, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.
Formerly part of the independent Missionary Research Library (MRL), these records were accessioned by the Burke Library at the time of the MRL's closure in 1976.
Columbia University Libraries, Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary
Diaries, letters, sermons, and dictionary were cataloged Lynn A. Grove on 1988-07-18. Metal staples were removed from materials and folded items were flattened. Materials were placed in new acid-free folders and boxes. Books were wrapped in acid-free unbuffered tissue and tied with cotton tying tape. The finding aid was created by Brigette Kamsler in 2011 with the support of the Henry Luce Foundation, and edited by Leah Edelman in 2021.
2013-06-25 XML instance document created by Brigette C. Kamsler.
2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.
2021-02-09 EAD spot checked and corrected and description updated by Leah Edelman.
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.
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