Greene to address Cazenovia College Class of 2023

CAZENOVIA, N.Y. >> Cazenovia College announced Dr. John Robert Greene as the keynote speaker for its 198th Commencement on Saturday, May 13. This will be the last commencement for the college, which announced it would be closing prior to the start of the fall 2023 semester.

Greene served as the Paul J. Schupf Professor of History and Humanities at Cazenovia College prior to his retirement this January. Greene was known as “the national face of Cazenovia College,” exemplifying its ideals, goals, and mission. For alumni, he represents a fixture of their time at the college as a supportive but challenging professor.

Greene marked his 42nd year of teaching at the college in 2022. He began at Cazenovia as a part-time instructor in Sept. 1979 while also serving as manager of the campus radio station. He became a full-time faculty member in 1984, was tenured in 1987, and was named Distinguished Faculty Member in 1993.

He was awarded the college’s first endowed chair, the Paul J. Schupf Chair in History and Humanities, in 2000 and a Distinguished Service Award in 2021. Upon his retirement in January, Dr. Greene was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus.

Aside from his teaching, Dr. Greene fulfilled several additional roles at the college. He was the program director of the history program, co-directed the dual major program in history and social science, and served several terms as chair of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Division.

Greene was also director of the Wheler Conference on World Affairs and director of the Washburn Junior Research and Teaching Fellowship Programs. He was the advisor to the Alpha Chi Honor Society and the College archivist, publishing the book, “Generations of Excellence: An Illustrated Biography of Cazenovia College” in 2000.

Known nationally as a leading scholar of the American presidency, Dr. Greene has edited or written 20 books. They include works on Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.

He is a sought-after subject matter expert for national and local print and broadcast media outlets and appeared for 17 years as a regular faculty panelist on WCNY-TV’S “The Ivory Tower” political and public affairs talk show.

“Dr. Greene has been a teacher and mentor to students as well as colleagues,” Cazenovia College President Dr. David Bergh said. “He encompasses so much of what Cazenovia College has stood for and his dedication to the college made it most fitting that he be the one to address the college and our graduates in the last commencement ceremony.”

The commencement ceremony will be held on the Cazenovia College campus Quad on Saturday, May 13 starting at 10:30 a.m. Further details, including an alumni speaker, will be provided at a later date.

“He encompasses so much of what Cazenovia College has stood for and his dedication to the college made it most fitting that he be the one to address the college and our graduates in the last commencement ceremony.” — Cazenovia College President Dr. David Bergh

Dr. John Robert Greene