J. Griffen Greene

Griffen was born in 1910 in Montezuma, Georgia.[1] At the age of 12, he lost his right arm at the elbow.[1] He was married with Gladys Moore Greene, a school librarian, who died in 2013.[2][3]

During his career, Griffen served as a principal Lincoln Academy High School at Fort Pierce, Florida.[4]

In 1958, Greene was appointed president of Volusia County Junior College, one of 12 public junior colleges established in Florida for African-Americans, majority of which were established between 1957 and 1962 under the initiative started by Governor LeRoy Collins.[2][4] By 1964, the college had served 5,600 students during his administration.[4] In 1965, the college amalgamated with Daytona State College, making him the first and only president of Volusia County Junior College prior to its merger.[4] After the merger, he served as dean at Daytona State College before leaving in 1973.[5] Greene later became an English and education professor at Bethune-Cookman College, working between 1973 and 1976.[6][7] He retired in 1978.[2]

Greene died in 1987.[2] A plaque has been erected in his honor under the Great Floridians program at the J. Griffen Greene Student Resource Center, Daytona Beach Community College.[4]