An Evening with Graham Greene

The Library Associates and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences co-sponsored a memorable question-and-answer program with the author, Graham Greene, on October 7, 1985 in Gaston Hall. Faculty, students, Associates and other friends of Georgetown assembled to applaud Greene, now 81 years old, as he responded to queries about his long and eventful career. Mr. Greene recalled his brief infatuation with the Communist party at Oxford in the 1920's and his acquaintance with notorious counterspy Kim Philby during World War II, when both were assigned to the same British Intelligence unit. Other questions focused on Greene's conversion to Roman Catholicism and elicited candid comments on liberation theology and the modern Church's relationship with Marxist governments. Several speakers expressed interest in the process of Greene's fictionalizing his many travels to international trouble spots. "It's been my life," Greene responded. "If you can write about politics when politics can be life or death, then they can be interesting." Sharing the platform with Greene were Prof. Raymond H. Reno of Georgetown's English Dept. and Rev. John B. Breslin, S.J., Director of the Georgetown University Press. Popular radio and television announcer Paul Anthony (SBA '64) served as moderator.

Greene's visit was at the invitation of the University Librarian, who later escorted the novelist on tours of Washington, Baltimore, Annapolis, Harper's Ferry and Charlottesville during his stay in Washington. While at Georgetown, Greene donated to the Library his diary and commonplace book for 1936 and a manuscript of an article entitled "Waiting for War" based on that same manuscript.

The program at Georgetown was featured in major news media and has drawn increased attention to the Library's special collections of Greene materials.

Special thanks should be extended to Associates Marshall Coyne and Richard J. McCooey (C'52), a member of the Board of Trustees of the Library Associates, for their particular generosity in making Mr. Greene's visit to Washington a comfortable and enjoyable experience.

In early February, it was reported that Queen Elizabeth II bestowed upon Graham Greene the exclusive Order of Merit which is limited to 24 men and women at a time and is more highly prized than a knighthood.