175 



all American collections of pre-Linnaean and rare post-Linnaean 

 books. The absolute necessity of this kind of botanical litera- 

 ture to the interpretation of Linnaeus himself was well seen by 

 me fifteen years before such a thought had entered the minds of 

 the botanists of Boston, New York or Washington." 



At the time it went to Notre Dame, the library consisted of 

 some 4,000 "most choice volumes" and the herbarium of perhaps 

 100,000 mounted specimens, many of them priceless types. 



In October, 1915, Dr. Greene returned to Washington from 

 Notre Dame in the hope that he would be able to continue work 

 on his "Landmarks." It was obvious to his friends that he was 

 failing rapidly. He endeavored to work as long as he had even 

 a little strength but permitted himself to be taken to Providence 

 Hospital on the 25th of October. He died November 10, 1915, 

 and was buried at Notre Dame. 



He had given his life to the cause of science. Some there are 

 who doubted the value of his work and questioned the motives 

 which actuated his caustic criticisms. Of enemies he had many; 

 of friends but a few. During a large part of his career the forces 

 arrayed against him would have daunted a less courageous man. 

 It is not to be wondered at that his tongue and pen were sharp, 

 and that sometimes he gave expression to thoughts that might 

 have been better left unsaid. It is certain that his enemies 

 were for the most part those who did not know him personally; 

 those who had met and talked with him bore no resentment for 

 anything he may have said. And whatever may be said of his 

 words, his deeds were always kind. 



To you, his friends, it is not worth while for me to attempt to 

 sum up his character, for he was a many-sided man, and none of 

 us saw exactly the same side. He was even full of contradictions, 

 if you will; "a man of many moods and fancies," one of his 

 biographers has called him. Nor will it be worth while for any 

 of us, for many years to come, to attempt an exact appraisal of 

 his contributions to science. Certain it is, however, that few, 

 if any, exerted a greater influence than he in the development of 

 systematic botany in America. 



