Book by Ashland-Greenwood Alum Donated to Library
The Canal Builders Added To School Collection
March 11, 2009
A former school board member, state school board member and Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools Foundation board member, Helen Greene, recently donated a book to our high school library. Mrs. Greene donated The Canal Builders: Making America's Empire At The Panama Canal, written by her daughter Dr. Julie Greene. Superintendent Craig Pease presented the book to high school media specialist Jerry Wendelin this past week after receiving the book from Mrs. Greene. The author is a 1975 graduate of Ashland-Greenwood High School.
According to book's publisher Penguin Books, "The Canal Builders recounts how the Panama Canal emerged as a positive symbol of American power and became a critical early step towards twentieth-century globalization. Yet by chronicling the contributions of canal workers from all over the world, Julie Greene also reminds us of the human dimensions of a project more commonly remembered for its engineering triumphs."
Julie Greene is a Professor of History at the University of Maryland at College Park and previously wrote Pure and Simple Politics: The American Federation of Labor and Political Activism, 1881-1917. After graduating from Ashland-Greenwood High School Dr. Greene attended the University of Michigan, Cambridge, and Yale University. Among her accomplishments, Ms. Greene has been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Council of Learned Societies.
According to Superintendent Craig Pease, "The district was pleased to have a quality book such as this added to its library. The fact that it was authored by an Ashland-Greenwood High School graduate makes it extra special."
