Melvin R. "Ray" Greene, Jr. (August 18, 1923 – February 16, 1987) was an American

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensi ...

player. He was inducted into the

National Lacrosse Hall of Fame The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum, is located in Sparks, Maryland at the USA Lacrosse headquarters. Prior to moving to its present location in 2016, the hall of fame and museum was located in Baltimore, Maryland, on the Homewood campu ...

in 1981.

Early life and college

Greene attended St. Paul's School in

Brooklandville, Maryland Brooklandville is an unincorporated community in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States near the intersection of Jones Falls Expressway and the Baltimore Beltway. The general area is a part of Lutherville, and some addresses in the area are cons ...

, where he was a four-year

letterwinner In sports or activities in the United States, a letterman is a high school or college student who has met a specified level of participation or performance on a varsity team. Overview The term comes from the practice of awarding each such par ...

on the varsity lacrosse team. Greene was coached by Hall of Fame coach

Howdy Myers Howard "Howdy" Myers Jr. (August 23, 1910 – February 12, 1980) was an American football, basketball and lacrosse coach and college athletics administrator. He served as head football coach for Johns Hopkins University from 1946 to 1949 and again ...

at St. Paul's. Ray Greene was

Drexel University Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Ar ...

’s first All-American, earning First Team Honors in 1943. After the 1943 season, Ray reported for military service in the Navy and when the war ended, he resumed his lacrosse career at Johns Hopkins University. At

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consiste ...

, Greene played lacrosse as a midfielder. He played on the Blue Jays' national championship teams in 1947 and 1948. The

United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association is an association of member institutions and organizations with college lacrosse programs at all levels of competition, including the three NCAA divisions and non-NCAA schools, at both the vars ...

named him a First Team All-American midfielder in 1947. The following season, the USILA again named Greene to the USILA first team. Ray was credited by Bob Scott in his book, Lacrosse: Technique and Tradition, with scoring the winning goal in the 1948 Navy game. Greene participated in the 1943, 1947 and 1948 North/South Collegiate All-Star Games. From 1949 through 1951 Ray played for the National Open Champions Mt. Washington Lacrosse Club and was selected by Kid Norris to his All Time Mt. Washington Team. During this time he also coached lacrosse at St. Paul's School. He was considered one of the five greatest lacrosse players of all time. Among his team mates were numerous future lacrosse Hall of Famers, including Jim Adams. Greene spent two years coaching at his prep alma mater, St. Paul's School, where he led the team to 10–2 and 9–1 records in 1949 and 1950, respectively. He also taught sixth grade math at St. Paul's. Greene is among 18 players or coaches from St. Paul's in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, including Jim Adams,

Scott Bacigalupo Scott S. Bacigalupo is a former lacrosse goaltender. He was a high school All-American, four-time collegiate United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) All-American, three-time National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) goa ...

Jeff Cook Jeffrey Alan Cook (August 27, 1949 – November 7, 2022) was an American country music artist. He was best known for being a founding member of the band Alabama, in which he contributed to lead vocals, guitar, fiddle, piano and other musical in ...

, and Don Zimmerman.lacrosse St.Paul's School website and alumni in Hall of Fame
History of Lacrosse at St. Paul's . Greene's children were Fadra Lee Greene, Chip Greene, and Rich Greene; grandchildren, Fadra Christine, Lauren, Taylor, Cameron, Chance, Brayson and Farrah.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greene, Ray 1923 births 1987 deaths American lacrosse players Lacrosse midfielders Drexel Dragons men's lacrosse players Johns Hopkins Blue Jays football players Johns Hopkins Blue Jays men's lacrosse players High school lacrosse coaches in the United States Lacrosse players from Baltimore United States Navy personnel of World War II

Early life and college

See also

References