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Dr. Richard R. Green (May 27, 1936 – May 10, 1989) was the first black
New York City Schools Chancellor
The New York City Schools Chancellor (formally "Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education") is the head of the New York City Department of Education. The Chancellor is appointed by the Mayor of New York City, Mayor, and serves at th ...
. He served in this capacity from March 1988 to May 1989.
Early life
Green was born in
Menifee,
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
in 1936. When he was two years old, Green and his three siblings traveled by train with their mother, who moved to
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
. He grew up in a Minneapolis housing project, and spent time in a reform school.
He later rose to become a teacher, principal, and then the first black Superintendent of the
Minneapolis Public Schools
Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) or Special School District Number 1 is a public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis Public Schools enrolls 36,370 students in publi ...
.
Selection as Chancellor
Green was selected over other black finalist Dr. Bernard Gifford to become the first black Chancellor of the
New York City Public Schools
The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is the department of the government of New York City that manages the city's public school system. The City School District of the City of New York (or the New York City Public Schools) is t ...
.
Green had the support of New York City Board of Education President
Robert F. Wagner, Jr.
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
over United Federation of Teachers President
Sandra Feldman
Sandra Feldman ( Abramowitz; October 13, 1939 – September 18, 2005) was an American educator and labor leader who served as president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) from 1997 to 2004.
Early life
Born Sandra Abramowitz in Coney ...
, who favored Dr. Gifford. On March 3, 1988, Green was installed as Chancellor at a ceremony at
Erasmus Hall High School
Erasmus Hall High School was a four-year public high school located at 899–925 Flatbush Avenue between Church and Snyder Avenues in the Flatbush neighborhood of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It was founded in 1786 as Erasmus Hall Ac ...
in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. He inherited a school system plagued by low graduation rates, a high dropout rate, truancy, guns and other violence, and assembled a team of educators to work with him in addressing these issues and making a difference in academics and safety for the schoolchildren of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. In the fall of 1988, Green and UFT President Sandra Feldman made peace with each other by holding a human-sized yellow pencil together on a public school stage, as they welcomed the only group of new schoolteachers which he recruited into the system at a special ceremony.
Death
Green, 52, was a lifelong asthmatic. After arriving in New York City, the air quality due to pollution bothered him, and he had been taken to the hospital having trouble breathing after becoming chancellor. On the evening of May 10, 1989, Green suffered an asthma attack at his apartment in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
. He told his wife "Gwen, I'm not going to make it this time," and died before help arrived. The official cause of death was cardiac arrest due to inability to breathe. He was returned for burial in Minnesota. A memorial service was held at the
Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine (sometimes referred to as St. John's and also nicknamed St. John the Unfinished) is the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. It is at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue in the Morningside Heights neighborhood ...
, with the eulogy given by New York City Mayor
Edward Koch
Edward Irving Koch ( ; December 12, 1924February 1, 2013) was an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, film critic, and television personality. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and was mayo ...
.
Memorial Award, Playground and School
The Council of the Great City Schools, the nation's voice for urban education, presents the nation's highest urban education award annually, the Richard Green and Edward Garner Award. (Garner was former school board president of Denver, Colorado). The award is presented to an urban school superintendent or school board member in alternative years. The winner receives a $10,000 college scholarship to present to a student.
The City of New York Parks Department subsequently dedicated and opened the Dr. Richard Green Playground on Sutter Avenue in Brooklyn.
The city also named two schools after him: the Richard R. Green High School of Teaching in Manhattan and the Richard R. Green Middle School #113 (formerly Olinville Junior High School) in the Bronx in his memory.
Richard Green Central Park School in Minneapolis is also named for the chancellor.
References
External links
Richard Green at the African American Registry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Richard
1936 births
1989 deaths
20th-century American educators
American school administrators
Deaths from asthma
New York City School Chancellors
20th-century African-American educators