Lenoir C. Wright
Encyclopedia
Lenoir C. Wright was a professor emeritus of History and Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
where he taught Asian history and culture.
Wright was born in Charlotte
, North Carolina
in 1911. From 1929 to 1933, he attended UNC Chapel Hill, where played varsity tennis. Wright reached the third round of the 1931 United States Tennis Championship, where he was defeated by Ellsworth Vines
.
He received a his law degree from Harvard University
in 1938. He worked two years as an attorney and then returned to school, earning a doctorate in history from Columbia University
. Wright served with the United States Navy from 1943 through 1946. During that time, he developed an interest in Asia, especially in Japanese affairs.
Wright came to UNC Greensboro in 1953 (then known as Women's College) and taught Asian history and culture. Grants from the Fulbright Program
enabled him to teach in Iraq and India. He wrote "United States Policy Toward Egypt, 1830-1914" which was published in 1969. Through frequent travels to Asia, Wright systematically built a collection of Japanese woodblock prints and scrolls, as well as Indian and Persian Miniatures. He donated his collection to UNCG's Weatherspoon Art Museum, where he was a lifelong member of the board of the Weatherspoon Gallery Association and the Musical Arts Guild. The Weatherspoon's Lenoir C. Wright Collection of Japanese Prints has more than 450 prints, primarily from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. One hundred highlights from the collection were featured in the exhibition Inside the Floating World in the fall of 2002.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro , also known as UNC Greensboro, is a public university in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States and is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina system. The university offers more than 100 undergraduate, 61 master's and 26...
where he taught Asian history and culture.
Wright was born in Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in 1911. From 1929 to 1933, he attended UNC Chapel Hill, where played varsity tennis. Wright reached the third round of the 1931 United States Tennis Championship, where he was defeated by Ellsworth Vines
Ellsworth Vines
Henry Ellsworth Vines, Jr. was an American tennis champion of the 1930s, the World No. 1 player or the co-No. 1 for four years in 1932, 1935, 1936 and 1937.-Biography:...
.
He received a his law degree from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1938. He worked two years as an attorney and then returned to school, earning a doctorate in history from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. Wright served with the United States Navy from 1943 through 1946. During that time, he developed an interest in Asia, especially in Japanese affairs.
Wright came to UNC Greensboro in 1953 (then known as Women's College) and taught Asian history and culture. Grants from the Fulbright Program
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
enabled him to teach in Iraq and India. He wrote "United States Policy Toward Egypt, 1830-1914" which was published in 1969. Through frequent travels to Asia, Wright systematically built a collection of Japanese woodblock prints and scrolls, as well as Indian and Persian Miniatures. He donated his collection to UNCG's Weatherspoon Art Museum, where he was a lifelong member of the board of the Weatherspoon Gallery Association and the Musical Arts Guild. The Weatherspoon's Lenoir C. Wright Collection of Japanese Prints has more than 450 prints, primarily from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. One hundred highlights from the collection were featured in the exhibition Inside the Floating World in the fall of 2002.
External links
- In Memoriam Lenoir C. Wright '38
- Lenoir Wright from tennisarchives.com