Camilla Blanche Gillett was born on April 11, 1870 and married Frank Albert Green on December 19, 1886. The couple divorced in 1893 with one daughter, Ethel Margaret Green, born on October 25, 1889. Mother and daughter continued to live primarily in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area and remained extremely close during their lifetimes. Note that Camilla is sometimes referred to as "Millie Gillett", and she will frequently sign her letters "Kim", especially when sent to Ethel. Ethel is occasionally referred to by her middle name, Margaret.
Camilla served as the Secretary of the Department of Engineering at the University of Michigan from 1907 to 1942. In that time, she helped to establish the Business and Professional Women's Society and played an active role helping students, especially the female engineers. As a result, Camilla became a mother-figure to them, so much that many came to address her as "Mother", "Mama" and other salutations of endearment. Select students were among the more frequent correspondents with both Camilla and Ethel. In addition, during the 1930s, Camilla aided then-retired Dean Mortimer Cooley in a compilation of the history of the University of Michigan.
Ethel spent some time as a teacher, but also traveled and stayed with friends and relatives in and around Michigan. Late in her life, Ethel befriended Russell and Melva Bidlack, a former professor who served as the first Dean of the University of Michigan School of Information (then called the School of Library Science). Upon Ethel's death, this collection of papers was bequeathed to Russell Bidlack with the recommendation that they be donated to the Michigan Historical Collections at the Bentley Historical Library.
Both Camilla and Ethel were beloved members of their community. However, both suffered frequent illnesses during their lifetime. Camilla eventually passed away after one of these sicknesses in 1955. Ethel lived on for another 32 years until she died in 1988.
From the guide to the Camilla and Ethel Green Family Papers, 1827-1988, 1910-1955, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
