John Francis Green was born March 3, 1841, in Darlington County, South Carolina.
During the Civil War, Green was a Confederate major serving in Georgia under General G. T. Anderson and, eventually, General Robert E. Lee. The war was not easy on Green; he was wounded five times, including being wounded in Malvern Hill, Virginia, in 1862. Green was present when General Lee surrendered at Appomattox, Virginia.
Green married Hanna Jane “Janie” Law in 1866. Together they had four children: Mary, James, John, and Thomas. All three sons became reverends.
At the height of reconstruction, the Green family moved to Hope, Arkansas, and are counted as one of the founding families. Janie died in 1883, and John remarried. His second wife was Ruth Kirkpatrick.
Ruth was a French and algebra professor at Arkansas College, and may have been one of the first female faculty members at that institution. While Ruth was teaching, an opening for a new professor by vacating Professor Thomas Jefferson Stubbs enticed John to join the college in 1888. Green taught until 1890 when he resigned due to poor health. He died in 1922 in the town of Hope, Arkansas.
This picture was graciously donated by Mr. Tony Perrin. The back of the picture is enscribed “My teacher/Mr. Jno. Green”. How often do students keep pictures of their teachers? Think about that. It certainly says a lot about Lyon College.
OIRM is honored to work with Lyon College to curate an exhibit celebrating 150 years in education. The museum’s exhibit committee has worked with organizer Pam Palermo and Drs. Brooks Blevins and Terrell Tebbetts to create a visual account of Lyon’s history. The exhibit includes many artifacts from Lyon’s collection and a few complimentary pieces from OIRM’s collection. Complimentary text panels outline Lyon’s evolution through time and highlight notable alumnae who impacted both Lyon College and the world. OIRM hopes this is one of many collaborations to come with Lyon College.
Come celebrate Lyon’s sesquicentennial with OIRM by viewing our exhibit! And join Lyon this weekend (October 14-16) for their annual Scottish Festival and homecoming. Admission is free to ScotsFest. Visit Lyon’s web page for additional information.
Lyon College is providing all patrons of its weekend festivities with a free pass to Old Independence Regional Museum. Take advantage of this fantastic deal, and we will see you at the museum!
