Dartmouth College President Emeritus Dr. James Wright has died at age 83. He had been undergoing treatment for cancer.
Dr. James Wright
Wright was Dartmouth’s 16th president (1998-2009) and the Eleazar Wheelock Professor Emeritus of History.
During his tenure as president, Wright launched the Campaign for the Dartmouth Experience, raising more than $1.3 billion. And as a U.S. Marine Corps veteran himself, he met with wounded veterans, raised money for veterans’ education, and lobbied Congress to create the Yellow Ribbon Program to help colleges and universities partner with Veterans Affairs to support veteran students in their educational pursuits.
“Few individuals in Dartmouth’s history can be said to have had more impact on this campus than Jim Wright in the past half-century,” said Dartmouth President Dr. Philip J. Hanlon. “As a dedicated scholar-teacher, his work has touched literally thousands of students. As an administrator and leader, he shaped the institution we know and love today for over a decade. And in recent years, his tireless advocacy for America’s military veterans has received national and international recognition and helped create a more welcoming environment for veterans here at Dartmouth.”
Other roles Wright held at Dartmouth include associate dean of the faculty, dean of the faculty, acting provost, provost, and acting president.
Wright authored or edited several books and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was a member of the Organization of American Historians and the Western History Association.
He also served on the advisory board of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, the advisory committee for the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and the board of the Semper Fi Fund.
