Martha Anne Green ’69

When Presbyterian College and First Presbyterian Church of Clinton established an award in 1999 to honor the late Martha Anne Green ’69, one criterion easily emerged to define the award: service.

That word, so prevalent in Presbyterian College’s motto, reflected the life of its beloved alumna and former counselor, associate dean of students, and director of career planning and placement.

Quite fittingly, Green was the first recipient of the honor that bears her name – the Martha Anne Green Service to Church and College Award. It is awarded annually to recognize those who aspire to serve both institutions with Green’s devotion and fervor.

When the award was announced at a reception in her honor, it was a surprise to no one that Green responded with grace and humility. She also recognized that it would be a part of her legacy.

“I love my church, my college, and my community so dearly and the desire to serve them has always been central in my life,” she wrote to the PC community following the event. “To have a service award named for me which will recognize other people for their service fills my heart with tremendous pride and helps me feel that in some small way I may have contributed to the future.”

A native of Whitmire, S.C., Green earned her master’s degree in education from Clemson University. She served as an educational therapist with the Vince Moseley Diagnostic and Evaluation Clinic in Charleston, S.C., before returning to Clinton for a two-year stint as a counselor at the Presbyterian Career and Personal Counseling Center located on the PC campus.

That center, operated by the Synod of South Atlantic, allowed Green to spend half of her time counseling PC students.

In the spring of 1980, she was selected to replace Marion Hill as an associate dean of students for women – a position that quickly earned her the moniker “Dean Green” and the reputation as an energetic, friendly, and caring administrator who would not hesitate to position herself as an advocate for students.

She embraced the opportunity to improve the social environment for PC’s female students, serving as the advisor to Women’s Council. As the push to bring sororities to campus grew, students found a staunch supporter in Green.

As Green shifted her career focus to helping students adjust to campus life and prepare for their own careers, a new generation of PC students discovered the remarkable and genuine level of caring she possessed. From administering the infamous Myers-Briggs personality test to helping freshmen feel comfortable in a new environment, Green let no obstacle stand in her way of assisting students.

After being diagnosed with liver cancer in 1998, Green inspired others with her unwavering faith. She remained active at the College until her death in 2004.

“Martha Anne once wrote me a letter that contained a verse she said was one of her favorites: ‘The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning.’ I hope Martha Anne is having a wonderful new beginning,” said Beth Wilson ’86