Richard Ward Greene (January 21, 1792 – March 14, 1875), was an American attorney, having graduated from

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

and having studied law at Litchfield College and under Boston lawyer Ebenezer Rockwell. He was appointed U.S. attorney for Rhode Island in 1826 and also served in both houses of the state legislature. In May 1848 was elected as Chief Justice of the

Rhode Island Supreme Court The Rhode Island Supreme Court is the Supreme court, court of last resort in the U.S. State of Rhode Island. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices, all selected by the Governor of Rhode Island from candidates vetted by ...

. He resigned on June 14, 1854. His nephew, Albert Collins Greene, was a

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

from

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

. His uncle was the Revolutionary War General,

Nathanael Greene Major general (United States), Major General Nathanael Greene (August 7, 1742 – June 19, 1786) was an American military officer and planter who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War. He emerge ...

. Born at Potowomut, Rhode Island, Greene was the son of Christopher Greene and Deborah Ward. He married Katherine Celia Greene on November 12, 1851. He died on March 14, 1875, in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...

. In his will he left (

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...

)$75,000 to the

Methodist Episcopal The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself nationally. In 1939, th ...

Sunday Schools.

References

Justices of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Greene, Richard W. Politicians from Warwick, Rhode Island Rhode Island lawyers 1792 births 1875 deaths 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers Brown University alumni Greene family (Rhode Island) {{RhodeIsland-state-judge-stub