[This text is machine generated and may contain errors.]

Scott H. Duke [0:03]
My first question is, where were you born and raised?

William M.A. Greene [0:07]
I was born in Linville, North Carolina. Avery County in western North Carolina and I was one of three children. My mother lived across North School after my father's death at that young age of 30.

And we grew up in the school dormitory life. So age 19 I graduated there and went to the Brevard College and old East Carolina, then Teachers College.

Scott H. Duke [0:44]
Okay. When did you when did you first hear about ECU

William M.A. Greene [0:48]
I first heard about East Carolina, then the Teachers College through my football coach at Brevard Junior College. And that was the beginning. And he wanted, he got an offer for a position here as an athletic coaching all sports three sports that was football, basketball and baseball. So he was talking to some of the student athletes about following him down East Carolina. I mentioned it to my mother and she said that's a girl school I said well, they have a football team. So that's how I heard about East Carolina and I Suppose how I got here. Okay,

Scott H. Duke [1:29]
was going to college always in the plan for you is it always something that you want to do.

William M.A. Greene [1:33]
Yes. All the way through my high school.

Scott H. Duke [1:37]
When did you come to ECU? What year did you come here?

William M.A. Greene [1:44]
The late summer of 1940.

Scott H. Duke [1:47]
Was there anything, I guess aside from your football coach that that made you choose ECU over another school were other people trying to recruit or anything like that? As far as

William M.A. Greene [2:01]
Oh, coach was it.

Scott H. Duke [2:02]
That was it? It seemed like the only choice was ECU and that's where you

William M.A. Greene [2:06]
No it was not the only choice I was. I was encouraged to go to Wake Forest. And earlier I had seen the movie called Shipmates Forever about the Naval Academy. So I thought that but I was distracted. Multiple other considerations. But I wanted to be a football coach, because I thought of myself as a football coach. But the distraction was great, because East Carolina and the Navy gave me the strength of my life professional. Firstly, I met my good wife, Virginia Cooke at East Carolina, who I was sure was the prettiest freshman on campus and the other campus she also was the smartest as they made. And of course, especially we were made a play together and that sealed a good courtship. From there we were married and have had 61 wonderful years. So that's East Carolina's strength to me and I could not have done better anywhere as far as my life's plan.

Scott H. Duke [3:35]
While you were at ECU, what was your major in school?

William M.A. Greene [3:40]
Business and physical education. At that time, my business course was called commerce in the Flannigan Building, we had, I think, three professors.

Scott H. Duke [3:56]
That's amazing. I already know the answer to a lot of these questions. But I'll just ask them anyway to get them on tape because you know, I read about you. Were you involved in any student government in any way?

William M.A. Greene [4:11]
Yes, I was the president of the men's student government, my senior year, which would be graduating in 43. The election of normally, eventually I lost to a fellow from Williamsburg. But then he went to the army because we were at war as everybody knows, starting in 1941 after Pearl Harbor 41. And so I served out the rest of his time as the president of the men's student government, we had of course had women's and men's for some reason.

Scott H. Duke [4:53]
Let's see. Yeah, I remember reading about that. And then they finally merged the two. Let's see. What sports did you play while at ECU? I know you played football, so I'll just say what uh, what about your football career at ECU? Any highlights that you want to talk about or what?

William M.A. Greene [5:13]
Oh yeah, the 1941 football team was undefeated. It's very interesting that because of the World War Two, some of the teams with whom our coach had requested games closed out their football and lost their people to induction into the drafting into the armed forces. So he had to shift around and get other games and one of them was with the Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia. And we thought we would be a run over but sort of laughed about it and it was the local paper they had to reflect us all and made a couple of comments about picking all these little fellows up at the hospital. It turned out to be a lot of professional football players either going through a period of examinations, health care, preparing them for a military service or navy service. So they came down and walked on the field and we all saw this big bunch of fellows who are going to crush us right away. But after the first half we put we took with which to be we weathered the storm of being outweighed and we beat them good because we were better conditioned, better organized and certainly better coached. That season was my the highlight of course, the sort of three years here because the third year when I was at East Carolina, we had no football team, we had intramural touch football.

Scott H. Duke [7:02]
How do you think ECU football has changed in your eyes since the time that you were on the playing field to now?

William M.A. Greene [7:13]
It has changed dramatically. I've been very impressed with our football program, the athletics and the whole scope of the athletics. I was very disappointed, however, I'm going to be outspoken about this. When football coach Steve Logan was just fired zip like this get off the campus type thing. He had a good program going I think the motivation was lost little bit when the athletic director, Hamrick did not tell him he had to reschedule a game with it to be on ESPN Friday night. Of course that interrupted the high school attendance high school football attendants, as they usually played on Friday nights. So that started this downhill, I think but at this time in 2005 we had a great program, we were that upper level in football. I remember in 1991, we almost went undefeated that was a big time football and we wound up on the Peach Bowl playing and beating NC State. I think that was our greatest year in football and hope we'll have more of those. I think this time now in July of 2004 with our new Director of Athletics, Terry Holland who is nationally known and he has a great insight of things we will see us build on and I don't know what was made in Conference USA but it's a good conference. I personally would like to see us in the Big East and would have years ago but in summary our football improvements is on its way I think we're going to have a larger stadium, we'll have better attendance. Although I think in those years, 10 years ago we had large crowds come because we were bringing name teams here. So the future is bright in my opinion.

Scott H. Duke [9:39]
What do you feel is the most important thing you have done in your career at ECU? When you when you were a student was anything I know you've played football, was there anything that you felt was and you were president? I guess those things were probably the peak of it. But was there any one or particular thing that you remember doing that was just had to be done that you did that you're just proud of?

William M.A. Greene [10:11]
Meeting my my wife, I suppose was number one but

I proud that we have great professors. And I got I got a wonderful education at East Carolina. And those days, teachers colleges were considered as a you know, the second way to the college level of their students. That is to say, folks in the triangle that didn't know about this fine school you have to think about it if they heard about a call it a one time someone said suitcase school, people went home on weekends. And we [Inaudible] drinking and other things. But it would be difficult to point out one thing in particular, meeting Virginia Cooke is the highlight of the year I was happy to have opportunities from, from every direction. I mean the town of Greenville was a very friendly place. Very friendly. That's one of the things that impressed me most, the happiness, but in addition to that I had an opportunity to work and that all came about. Because I opened the door to the dining room, the school dining room for the lady who turned out to be Miss Ola Ross, the assistant registrar. She had two students who worked in her office. And I was selected to replace one who was graduating, all because I opened that door and smiled when we were entering the dining hall. And I thought that was remarkable that the work there put me in a position to make a lot of people I was in charge of the auditorium. Right. And also Austin Bellamy had her movies in Austin. So I met a lot of the performers who came to Wright Auditorium and also just being in charge of the building was exciting for me. What's hard and I think the total picture was that it was a great campus with 100 students with 1000 girls and 150 boys. So again, it was a total picture was great for me it'd be hard to pick out any one thing besides my wife.

Scott H. Duke [12:59]
Let's see. Is there is there any, anybody at ECU that has had a specific impact on you? That you know while you were in attendance that maybe showed you more attention or or just made an impact on your life? That

William M.A. Greene [13:24]
No, they were all were very good to me. I can't think of anybody was, one person her name was Mary Green, an English teacher made the comment to me that don't think because your name is the same as mine, you're gonna get by with just the personality. There was a trigonometry teacher, Miss Graham, who carried an olive colored umbrella, whether it was raining or not carry that umbrella. I was in a play Wuthering Heights. I had a small part of the drunken brother named Henley. I had one scene where I came on stage, looking for Heathcliff, the handyman of the farm, this is an English play by the way. And I just made a comment. Heathcliff, where is that boy? I was supposed to be a drunken brother now. And he's over in the corner the stage and says here I am. And so I made a comment when I come home I expect you to be at the stable ready to take my horse. So Miss Graham happened to be in the audience of one of the three nights we showed this play. The following Monday she caught me on campus and said you're going to be expelled if you were drunk on that stage. So I made the comment to her that you're the only person that told me I did good.

Scott H. Duke [15:10]
There you go.

William M.A. Greene [15:11]
I wondered home asking that question but yeah it shows you how I felt about school then and how I feel about it now.

Scott H. Duke [15:44]
How has what you learned at ECU made an impact on your life as far as overall just that as far as giving you direction or where you were gonna go after college how did it leave an imprint on you?

William M.A. Greene [16:05]
The kindness between students and faculty. The matter of dealing with people was very effective as far as my life was concerned. And I was well prepared to go on in my studies.

I never knew as a student how to study although I've been taught my mind would wonder usually like to football but the the fact that East Carolina prepared me for the Navy was remarkable because the professors we had at East Carolina were very careful to make us understand what we were supposed to be learning and to get the courses and being thorough with your work, one's work and so let that carried with me into the Navy and that was a big help. But most of all, I think the the treatment received from the faculty and then the staff administration had a great effect on the way I performed as a naval officer realizing what you can do with molding people and can make a difference in the total outcome of all the people you see.

Scott H. Duke [17:45]
You just were touching on your career in the Navy. Can you just tell tell us about some of the accomplishments that you that you and responsibilities that you had while you were in after after you left ECU up to now if you want I know it's a lot but you don't have to go into detail that everything but.

William M.A. Greene [18:12]
With East Carolina the responsibilities of closing Wright Auditorium. We have masses during the night of the week. For about an hour we had a record player up on the stage. Huge cabinet we'd played records in the good old boogie woogie days. The big man's and it was my responsibility to carry that out to people to go do their studying and I think we made our appointed hours eight o'clock we had the close it. So my responsibility there was to lock it up. We had an [Inaudible] artists one of them being the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra and somehow during their performance before or after they had ate all of the ice cream out of the cooler at the lower level where we had a small part of the middle school local schools. So I got into trouble about that. So from now on, I knew to lock that downstairs. That was the responsibility on the other was in the registrar's office, I had charge of the grades that came in from the various professors on students so I knew what everybody was doing. You'll demand like worse than anybody's. So I filled out the little cards in the mail to the student what they made for their for the past quarter, you know, that was a great responsibility. On into the Navy, I had my difficulties at the Midshipman School in Northwestern where I went after graduation. And I struggled. Again, it was not East Carolina's fault it was my own fault for not having to learn to study, and we were moving quickly. In about four months we did what the Naval Academy was doing with people a year or more. They was preparing us for the basics of being a naval officer. I managed to graduate be commissioned and I went on into the responsibilities of it. Eventually my career developed, I had command of four different ships, which is a responsibility and I had the opportunity of serving at the Naval Academy on two occasions, first time for two years as an instructor. I also coached the lightweight football teams as we called them 150 pounders. And we had two undefeated seasons when I was coaching. We were involved in the Eastern Athletic Association, which was the Ivy League schools, and of course Navy got into it, somehow, the arrangement for the administration. But then when I went there was a select for flag rack, which was quite an achievement in the Navy, of course. And I was very excited, my family was excited, and my family was responsible for it because it is supporting me all the way through. My wife having been left alone, on many occasions when I was at sea, for instance, and seven months, as much as seven months. Took [Inaudible] that war. And so she had the responsibility of a mother and a father. And she kept a good strong family. Our children were never involved in drug usage. They did well with their education. And they've done well professionally. So that's the gratifying, rewarding experience of my professional and private life.

Scott H. Duke [22:33]
I'm going to assume it's going to be your wife. What what are some of the fondest memories that you have of ECU? What were like some of the best, best times that you can remember about it was that the best thing you did or your favorite time there was it football or just kind of everything?

William M.A. Greene [22:58]
One thing with the 41 season was the games, all the games went undefeated, that was very exciting. And I remember all of this. And we were a well knit team and over achieved. Our coach of course was an unusual person we call Honest John because he would not allow anything crooked. And you kept strict training, you weren't allowed to date during football season, only to concentrate on football of course. The highlight was kissing my wife on stage. Because that was part of the play we were in Ladies in Retirement and I was the old man in the play. So that began our courtship although we'd known each other a couple of years and obviously, the prettiest girl on campus, I just wasn't dating too much. Thanks for that coach. But working to come in early working in the registrar's office, she was such a wonderful person Ms. Ola Ross and I learned a lot from her as far as being meticulous. Oh my Lord, she was a meticulous lady. That was something and I was thinking to say this when our then college president decided that we were going into the armed forces to cut our quarters in half if necessary to satisfy the needs of the particular armed service into which we were going. That was very patriotic. We didn't get by with just writing a paper or two we had to double up and then work hard for those, those weeks that were ahead just half the time. I noticed in 43 I had opportunity to take just a half a quarter, my last one. Those were my highlights at East Carolina, I think.

Scott H. Duke [25:23]
Okay, excellent. I only have about four more. How have the friendships that you made at ECU impacted your life?

William M.A. Greene [25:35]
Lasting friends.

Warm friends, supportive people. And I've been saying when I think back to 1940 to 43 to the time I was here those people, although many of them the course devised, and longer alive we, the ones that are alive we we both see them and exchange greetings, greeting cards. That participant was at base now I've met some of the some of the people from Greenville, who's still alive and live in Greenville. Who were friends then and we are now we returned here for our permanent home. That affected my life because it's just a feeling of real to witness the reality of most people in our world right now. As you know, it's a mess. I was sorry for the young people having to come into such a mixture of mean people. And it's not what I grew up in as a young person

I suppose. I think that's as much as I can say as far as how it's affected my life.

Scott H. Duke [27:28]
Where do you see ECU going in the future?

William M.A. Greene [27:35]
Okay, this time, I'm convinced we have the right chancellor and his wife. I'm convinced we have the right leadership in our various schools. I'm convinced we have a strong alumni association. We have a lot more support. Now. I would make this comment. Dr. Leo Jenkins who was the time here was president. He was the vice Vice President. He is the reason we his work was the reason a medical school came to East Carolina. That made the difference in not only the integrity, the national identity and the growth of East Carolina University and Greenville, that one person I think he should be remembered that more than just naming the building for him.

The school of music, I think is one of the finest in the country, although many people recognize that and the school of business. Those are the ones have watched more closely. We have discussed the athletic program, I have great confidence in the athletic program. I understand that our student government now at East Carolina now is very strong. We talk with students, Virginia and I do, we talk with students that we went out for lunch or dinner who are working and I'm impressed to see students working. I've been there and they are always very pleasant and I have probably seen one coordinator that was not completely involved in her work and she's doing and is supposed to be courteous, and let the customer reorder the food if necessary and just be courteous, I'm really impressed with that.

Scott H. Duke [30:10]
Alright, these are some they take people time to answer. Some people whip it right out, they know. So the first question is describe ECU in one sentence. It's tough.

William M.A. Greene [30:35]
ECU is historically, progressive and will forever be progressive in its mission to serve.

Scott H. Duke [30:53]
All right, I'll make it a little bit tougher. Describe ECU in one word.

William M.A. Greene [31:08]
Exceptional.

Scott H. Duke [31:13]
That's it. That's all I got for you.

William M.A. Greene [31:15]
I wondered all too much. I guess.

Scott H. Duke [31:19]
No. I mean, that's a whole page of questions. That's, that's great. That's great.

William M.A. Greene [31:29]
How many people are you going to interview?

Scott H. Duke [31:31]
I've got right now lined up. I have 1, 2, 3. I have four more people lined up and I'm working on one more. Dr. Walter J. Corys. He's a wonderful trying to get him, well, I've got him for the 21st. So I've got him.

Speaker 3 [31:56]
He's the one that did the famous Tommy, his name right there.

Scott H. Duke [32:02]
Right the Greenville By what they call it, the Greenville Gastric Bypass or someting

Speaker 3 [32:08]
that he was [Inaudible]

William M.A. Greene [32:11]
Do you want to see a picture of my wife?

Speaker 3 [32:14]
No no I just want to tell this young man.

William M.A. Greene [32:16]
She's prettier now.

Speaker 3 [32:18]
He's so modest. But he was he was the man on the campus.

William M.A. Greene [32:29]
81 years old and

Speaker 3 [32:34]
He can remember, because he'll write a little bit of on his own before, whatever. But he was voted as who in American universities and colleges. And he just was into every extracurricular activity, saying with the course he had never played. He has a good musical ear. So he used to play in the band and he had a tuba and he played it by ear and that Mr Detmer who was our band conductor. He was very upset with Bill because he would put extra notes in here. But he was he was truly he was he he was I don't know how he manages to be a good student and to do all this.