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A. C. Greene | |
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| Born | Alvin Carl Greene Jr. (1923-11-04)November 4, 1923 Abilene,Taylor County Texas, USA |
| Died | April 5, 2002(2002-04-05) (aged 78) Salado,Bell County, Texas |
| Occupation | Texas historian, author |
| Alma mater | Abilene Christian College University of Texas at Austin |
A.C. Greene (bornAlvin Carl Greene Jr.; 4 November 1923 – 5 April 2002) was an American writer – important in Texas literary matters as amemoirist, fiction writer, historian, poet, and influential book critic in Dallas. As a newspaper journalist, he had been a book critic and editor of the Editorial Page for theDallas Times Herald whenJohn F. Kennedy wasassassinated, which galvanized his role at the paper to help untangle and lift a demoralized city in search of its soul. Leaving full-time journalism in 1968, Greene went on to become a prolific author of books, notably on Texas lore and history. His notoriety led to stints on radio and TV as a talk-show host. By the 1980s, his commentaries were being published by major media across the country. He had become a sought-after source for Texas history, anecdotes, cultural perspective, facts, humor, books, and politics. When the1984 Republican National Convention was held in Dallas, Greene granted sixty-three interviews about Texas topics to major media journalists.[1] Greene's 1990 book,Taking Heart – which examines the experiences of the first patient in a newheart transplant center (himself) – madeThe New York Times Editors Choice list.[2]
In 1948, Greene began working as a cub reporter for theAbilene Reporter-News and wrote book reviews and articles for the entertainment section. From 1952 to 1957, Greene owned and operated the Abilene Book Store, located at 365 Cypress Street, across the street from theParamount Theater – its slogan: "The Book Center of West Texas." In 1957, he began teaching journalism atHardin-Simmons University.[3]
Greene, in his teens, was known as "A.C." So, in 1953, he legally changed his name from Alvin Carl to A.C. and dropped the Jr.[4]
In 1960, Greene became a book editor for theDallas Times Herald; and in 1963, theTimes Herald promoted him to the editor of the Editorial Page, a role he performed until 1965. Of theKennedy assassination, Greene wrote:
Within a week after theassassination, everything that was sent to the editor or to the [Dallas] Times Herald came to me. We got literally thousands of letters from all over the world, especially from all over the United States, and a lot of them had money forJacqueline Kennedy, but most of the money was forOfficer Tippit's wife, and thenMarina Oswald. From the Times Herald through me, from various readers all over the world, I sentMrs. Tippit over $200,000. I sentMarina Oswald about the same amount.
Greene left theTimes Herald in 1968 to pursue a Ph.D. at theUniversity of Texas at Austin and to devote more time to writing books. From 1968 to 1969, Greene was the executive editor of theSouthwestern Historical Quarterly, a publication of theTexas State Historical Association. In 1969, he served as President of theTexas Institute of Letters while working on his doctorate atThe University of Texas at Austin.
In 1968, Greene was awarded aDobie-Paisano Fellowship from theUniversity of Texas at Austin which included a six-month stay at Paisano, a ranch 14 miles southwest of Austin purchased byJ. Frank Dobie for use as a writer's retreat. The award and retreat led to Greene's first book,A Personal Country.
In the 1980s, Greene wrote a weekly column on Texas history for theDallas Morning News.[5]
From 1986 to 1992, Greene served as Founding Coordinating Director of the Center for Texas Studies at theUniversity of North Texas inDenton. He retired as emeritus director. James Ward Lee – an author, professor of English at North Texas since 1958, former chairman of the English Department, and co-director of the center – called Greene "The Dean of Texas Letters."[1]
Annually, Greene's hometown of Abilene, Texas presents the A.C. Greene Award to a distinguished Texas author for lifetime achievement during the West Texas Book Festival. Past winners include John Graves,Sandra Brown, Elmer Kelton, Liz Carpenter, John Erickson, and many others.[6]
Greene's parents – Alvin Carl Greene Sr. (born in Wills Point, Texas, in 1902), and Johnnie Marie Cole (born in Beaumont, Teas, in 1906) – were killed in 1964 in a two-vehicle accident while traveling from Beaumont to Dallas. Their car had been hit by an18-wheel truckU.S. 69.[7]
Greene gave much credit for his love of reading, writing, and storytelling to his maternal grandmother, Maude E. Cole (1879–1961). Besides being a writer and poet, she was also an amateur painter. She was a prize-winning and published poet and author,[8] and from 1926 to 1946, a librarian at theCarnegie Library inAbilene, Texas.[9]
A.C. was married twice, first in 1950 to Betty Jo Dozier (1925–1989). They had three sons and a daughter.[citation needed] In 1989, Betty died from cancer. He subsequently remarried Judy Dalton Hyland(née Julia Hall Dalton; 1933–2012), daughter of the formergovernor of Missouri,John Montgomery Dalton. Through that marriage, he gained two stepdaughters. Judy died 8 August 2012 inAustin.[10]
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