Greene, Vernon Van Atta.

Vernon Van Atta Greene (1908-1965) was an American cartoonist and illustrator, most noted for his work as George McManus' successor on the comic strip Bringing Up Father .

Greene was born in Battle Ground, Washington in 1908, one of seven children. Greene spent much of his early career doing sports and editorial cartoons for various newspapers, including the Portland (Ore.) Telegram (1927-1929), the Toledo Blade (1930-1932) and the New York Mirror (1934-1937). During this time, Greene was also an active freelance illustrator, creating advertising cartoons and illustrations for books and magazines, working on Street and Smith publications like the Shadow and the Masked Lady, and ghosting for many years on the daily version of Cliff Sterrett's comic strip Polly and Her Pals .

During WWII, Greene found himself with the medical division of the Air Corps as a photographer at Kearns Air Base in Utah. After the war was active in traveling USO tours with other cartoonists. He attended Toledo University in the 1930s and following World War II, Columbia University.

In 1954, Greene took over the long-running classic comic strip Bringing Up Father after the death of the strip's creator George McManus. He carried on with the strip, maintaining it very much in McManus' signature style, until his own death in 1965.

In addition to his prolific artistic output, Greene also served as host of the WRVR syndicated radio show The Cartoonist's Art, and was an active member of the National Cartoonists Society, serving two years as Vice President. In 1964, Greene was awarded the NCS Silver T-Square award for his service to his profession.

Vernon Greene died in 1965.

From the guide to the Vernon Greene Papers, 1922-1966, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)