Classification: Obituary

Surnames: ADAMS, GREESON, HODGES, LYON, WITHEY, WOOD

SURNAMES: ADAMS, GREESON, HODGES, LYON, WITHEY, WOOD

W.A. GREESON DIES IN FLORIDA

William A. GREESON, formerly of Grand Rapids and superintendent of city schools here for several years, died early Wednesday morning at his home at Lake Worth, Fla., where he had spent the latter years of his life. He would have been 90 years old Jan. 3.

The body will arrive here Sunday morning and will be taken to the Metcalf mortuary.

Born near the village of Alto, Ind., he began his schooling in the county schools at Howard county, Ind., and attended Howard college at Kokomo and Lebanon Normal school at Lebanon, O. He was graduated from the University of Michigan in 1879 with A.B. and A.M. degrees and then became principal of Flint high school, a position he held until 1881.

From that date until 1885 Mr. Greeson taught Latin and Greek in the Grand Rapids high schools and for the following 14 years was principal of Central high.

Leaving Grand Rapids in 1896, he became dean of the faculty and professor of mathematics at Lewis Institute in Chicago and remained at that post until 1906.

Professor GREESON was called back to Grand Rapids in 1906 to assume the superintendency of schools and remained until 1924, during which period the populations of the city grew approximately 50 per cent, with a corresponding increase in the schools enrollments. Following his retirement as superintendent of schools, the post of teacher at Junior college was offered and he accepted, remaining there for many years.

Professor GREESON always maintained his balance by keeping contact with nature, and for many summers spent part of his vacation with friends, camping in the lake and stream wilderness of Canada. He was an ardent fisherman.

Surviving are a stepson, Edward L. WITHEY of Grand Rapids, and a niece, Miss Flora WOOD, who made her home with him.

THE GRAND RAPIDS HERALD, Grand Rapids, Mich., Thurs., 26 Nov. 1942, Pg. 5, Col. 1, Art. 2

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A biographical sketch and portrait of WILLIAM A. GREESON is to be found in GRAND RAPIDS AND KENT COUNTY Michigan (Vol. II) by Ernest B. Fisher (Editor), Robert O. Law Company, Chicago, 1918, Pgs. 138-139. That sketch can be read in its entirety at: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micoun...

According to WILLIAM A. GREESON’S biographical sketch, he was born on 30 January 1853, at Alto, Howard Co., IN, the son of David GREESON and Mary HODGES, natives of North Carolina. He was married 3 January 1892, to Mrs. Emma LYON WITHEY. She was the widow of Edward WITHEY and the daughter of T. Hawley LYON. Mrs. Greeson died, Feb. 7, 1893. By her first marriage she had two children: Marian, who was the wife of C.N. ADAMS of Cleveland, Ohio, and Edward L., who was connected with the Michigan Trust Company of Grand Rapids.

Transcriber: ES
Created: 6 May 2008
URL: http://kent.migenweb.net/obituaries/local/greesonWm.html