Surrounded by family, friends, former colleagues and University staff, Lise M. Greene \u201974, MA
\n\u201981, TESOL \u201906 returned to campus on Nov. 20 for a dedication event commemorating her
\ngenerosity and service to Montclair State University. After stepping foot on campus as a student
\nmore than 50 years ago, Greene maintained strong ties to her alma mater, serving as a
\nUniversity employee for 25 years and recently donating a gift to establish the Dr. Lise M.
\nGreene Archives Research Fund in the Montclair State University Libraries.<\/p>\n
A plaque marking appreciation for Greene\u2019s years of service and generous support now adorns
\na bench in front of Cole Hall, a meaningful spot for Greene.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you sit on the bench, you\u2019re looking directly at Chapin Hall, where I spent the first seven
\nyears of my Montclair State University career,\u201d says Greene. \u201cAnd if you stand in front of the
\nbench and look toward the original campus building, the president\u2019s office where I spent 18
\nyears is right there on the second floor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis place belongs to you\u2026 because of your talent, hard work and tenacity\u2026 for everything
\nyou offered over all these years, you are part of Montclair,\u201d said Vice President for Development
\nand Alumni Engagement Rita Walters in her remarks at the dedication gathering. \u201cYou set a
\nshining example of the community and culture of Montclair\u2026and we are grateful for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greene majored in English, and after completing her bachelor\u2019s degree, she spent a year as a
\ngraduate student in Chicago and then returned to New Jersey, working a series of part-time and
\nshort-term jobs. Her path back to Montclair began when she saw an ad in the newspaper for
\nemployment opportunities. She applied and secured two part-time jobs in the School of
\nEducation \u2013 serving in the Educational Leadership Department and in the Curriculum Resource
\nCenter, a special library for aspiring teachers.<\/p>\n
She later served as assistant director of Project THISTLE, working with teachers in the Newark
\nPublic Schools, and assistant to the dean of the College of Education and Human Services, now
\nthe College for Education and Engaged Learning. In 1985, she was appointed assistant to the
\npresident, where she worked until her retirement in 2004, serving with interim presidents and
\npresidents Donald Walters, Richard Lynde, Irvin Reid, Gregory Waters and Susan Cole.
\n\u201cWe are grateful to recognize Lise\u2019s extraordinary relationship and commitment to Montclair
\nthrough her decades of learning, working and providing that unique gift of service that she is
\nknown for,\u201d says Dr. Irvin Reid. \u201cAs a student, alumna, employee and donor, she rightfully can
\ncall Montclair home.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to her undergraduate degree, Greene obtained a master\u2019s in counseling, human
\nservices and guidance at Montclair, and she credits Reid for encouraging her to pursue a
\ndoctorate, which she earned in higher education administration from New York University. She
\nrelied on Montclair library resources to complete her doctoral research, which focused on the
\nexperiences of African American students at Montclair from its beginning as a normal school
\nthrough 1957, the year before it became a state college. Her husband, Mark, is also an
\nalumnus, earning a master\u2019s degree in counseling, human services and guidance in 1981 as
\nwell.<\/p>\n
Greene\u2019s gift to establish the Archives Research Fund supports collection development and the
\ndigitization of archival materials so they are accessible to the wider community, as well as
\ngrants to support graduate students and external scholars in working with Montclair archives
\nmaterials.<\/p>\n
\u201cTechnology has come a long way since I began researching in the 1990s,\u201d says Greene. \u201cI
\nhope my gift for the Montclair State University archives will enable future researchers to
\ndiscover more about this University that we love and appreciate\u2026with the goal of continuing to
\nmake it even better.\u201d<\/p>\n