Over the course of his career, Sam Greenlee was been a novelist, activist, poet, screenwriter, actor, journalist, teacher, All-American middle-distance runner, martial artist, and talk show host. Born in Chicago on July 13, 1930, Greenlee attended Chicago public schools. At age fifteen, Greenlee participated in his first sit-in and walked in his first picket line; his social activism continued throughout his life.
In 1952, Greenlee received his B.S. in political science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. After two years' service as an infantry Lieutenant, Greenlee entered graduate school at the University of Chicago, studying international relations from 1954 to 1957. In 1957, he began an eight-year career with the Foreign Services Officer, serving in Iraq, East Pakistan, Indonesia, and Greece, and in 1959, was awarded the Meritorious Service Award for bravery during the Baghdad revolution of July 14, 1958; the civilian equivalent of the army's Distinguished Service Cross.
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