An inspiring professor at the University of Alabama unlocked a whole new area of history for Harold E. Greer Jr., Ph.D. As he learned about the role that Latin America had played in the world, ranging from the days of the Indigenous inhabitants to the middle of the 20th century, Greer was compelled to specialize in the region, eventually writing his dissertation on the mission work conducted by Southern Baptists in Cuba during the late 19th century.

His love of Latin America is shared by his wife, Laura (who edited and typed his dissertation), and the pair have traveled among the many countries, experiencing their rich cultures, diverse landscapes, and warm hospitality firsthand. What followed was a career devoted to teaching Latin American history to generations of VCU students and a retirement dedicated to enhancing the Department of History’s continued teachings of that history.

For many of his students, Greer’s two-semester survey course was one of their first touchpoints with the region’s history, giving him the privilege to emulate his mentor from his own undergraduate studies.

“I was really interested in the whole [of Latin America], and enjoyed teaching the whole area,” Greer said. “One of the fun things is that the students seem to really be interested and really liked it. I think one of the main reasons that they found it so interesting is that most of the students knew very little about Latin American history before they took the course.” Greer’s career at VCU spanned 36 years, and he was awarded emeritus status upon his retirement.

Greer, along with Laura, who was also an educator at John Tyler Community College (now Brightpoint Community College) and the VCU School of Business, created the Harold and Laura Greer Scholarship in 2012 to support undergraduate students in the department with the highest average with at least two completed courses in Latin American history. In 2018, they endowed the Dr. and Mrs. Harold Greer Jr. Distinguished Professorship in Latin American History, and, a year later, sponsored the annual Harold and Laura Greer Lecture in Latin American History.

“We consider it a real privilege to be able to do the scholarship and the chair in Latin American history, that we were able to do that and felt that offered more opportunities to students in the area,” Greer said. “The people at VCU, since we’ve retired, have been so nice to work with and so cooperative. It made it a pleasure for us. The letters we receive from students that got the scholarship, the appreciation letters, have meant a lot to us. It’s very meaningful to know that the scholarship had a real impact on their lives and studies.”

In addition to their support of Latin American history, the Greers endowed a new scholarship for the Department of History in honor of Harold’s longtime colleague, friend, and fishing partner, Robert Talbert, Ph.D., whose penchant for the ancient history of Egypt and the Middle East wowed both students and fellow faculty.

“He had a real gift for teaching,” Greer said. “We shared an office together for many years, so I got to see students react when they came to his office and he was always one of the most popular teachers in the department. He was such a genuine person. The thing that struck me most was how the students reacted. That they enjoyed his classes so much, classes like his History of Egypt. The knowledge that he had of these ancient languages was just amazing to me.

“Teaching was the most important thing to both of us. We both especially enjoyed working with students and having so many students that were first in their families to go to college too,” Greer said.

The Greers continue to champion first-generation college students through additional donations to the CHS First-Generation Student Success Fund.

“Laura and I were both really glad to help out, to donate, to enhance that program. I thought that was really special for first-generation students. What it meant to them, and that VCU was emphasizing and helping them.”

With the financial gifts provided to CHS to aid students, the Greers hope more undergraduates find their moment of inspiration on campus and chase it, just as they did.

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