Dr. Ethel J. Greene was born in 1921 in Charleston, Mississippi where she graduated high school in 1940. She married her high school sweetheart and classmate Mack Earl Greene in 1940. They have two children, David and Janice.
She obtained a BS and Masters in education from Chicago State University. She also obtained a Doctorate in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Illinois. Dr. Greene taught elementary school in Chicago public schools for several years and trained teachers at Northeastern Illinois University for thirty years.
She was a member of Phi Delta Kappa Sorority. She was also a member of Ebenezer Baptist Church where she served on the usher board, the board of Christian Education, the scholarship foundation and as Sunday School Superintendent.
Dr. Greene founded and organized the National Charleston Day Organization in 1974, which has active chapters in eight major cities in the United States. Dr. Greene served as National President for 20 years and as President Emeritus from 1994 until her passing in 2001.