Vera Green was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1928. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from Roosevelt College in 1952. She began her formal studies in anthropology at Columbia University and received her Master of Arts Degree in 1955. From the University of Arizona in 1969 she received a Ph.D. in Anthropology; her doctoral fieldwork and dissertation were carried out on the Caribbean island of Aruba. She has held a myriad of jobs reaching from social worker to professor. Some of the more prominent positions were supervising anthropologist for a research project in Aruba, Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology for the University of Houston from 1969 to 1972 and Associate Professor of the Department of Anthropology in Livingston College and Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Vera Green was a very accomplished woman. Throughout her career she held an interest in the Caribbean and Latin America and was useful in pointing out misconnected relationships between different black and Afro-American cultures. She forced racial minorities around her to disbelieve the preface stating they shouldn't be allowed to hold important job titles or be scientifically inclined. She conducted extensive fieldwork, gave many speeches and wrote several publications on the aged, international human rights, migration, voluntary associations and applied anthropology.
Green died on January 17th after a long fight against cancer. Her passion for anthropology remained strong until the day she passed. In everything she did she encouraged Black, Puerto Rican and other minority students to join anthropology and pursue careers. With her the discipline lost president, fellow, friend and teacher.
This picture reprinted by permission of the American Anthropological Association from American Anthropologist no. 3 [84, 1982] Not for Reprint.
American Anthropologist vol. 84 1982.
Who's Who of American Women 11th ed. 1979-1980.
Written by: Nikki Akins