In 1879, Greener was appointed Dean of Howard University's Law Department. After leaving Howard in 1881, he opened a private law practice in Washington. During Presidents McKinley and Roosevelt's administrations, Greener was a prominent figure in national and international affairs. He became first secretary of New York's Grant Memorial Association, and assisted in raising funds to finance Grant's Tomb.
In 1898, he was appointed United Consul to Bombay India, then transferred to Vladivostok, Russia, becoming the first American to hold this post. In 1902, the Chinese Government decorated him with the Order of Double Dragon for his service to the Boxer Was and assistance to Shansi famine sufferers. After his retirement in 1906, Greener lived in Chicago where he joined the Harvard Club. He died on May 15, 1922, leaving a record and memory in every way honorable.
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