Wright said he decided to write a book after delivering the annual Jefferson Memorial Lecture at the University of California, Berkeley last February. Although he was originally asked to give a presentation about his work with veterans, he instead decided to draw from his academic work in history and gave a speech about war veterans and their role in American democracy, he said.
"I am a historian," Wright said. "That's the way I've always thought about myself. I love history."
The book will explore the history of veterans and democracy beginning with the American Revolution and will draw on historical research, experiences from over 20 hospital visits in the last five years, meetings with officers and a briefing Wright attended at the Pentagon, Wright said.
Wright will conduct his research with a presidential scholar in the fall. Wright helped establish the presidential scholar program during his time as dean of the faculty and Susan Wright served as the program's first director, The Dartmouth previously reported.
"I have a particular interest in this program, though this is the first time I've ever had a [presidential scholar] myself, and I'm looking forward to it," Wright said.
In October 2009, Wright gave a speech about American higher education at a conference at Seoul National University in South Korea. Wright will return to South Korea this November to participate in a one-week residency at Yonsei University in South Korea as the Shinhan Bank's visiting professor. Wright plans to teach a seminar on war and American society with a focus on the Korean War, he said.
During his visit, Wright will meet with members of the 1st Marine Division, some of whom will be in Korea for the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.
Wright also plans to continue his work with veterans support groups in the United States, he said.
"I've been down to [the National Naval Medical Center] three times in the last year," Wright said. "The last time I was there was in April and I'll be going back in a couple of weeks to visit with wounded servicemen there."
Over the past year, Wright has sorted through papers and archives in preparation for an oral history project about his tenure as president of the College. The project which is composed of a series of interviews with the former president and other individuals who worked closely with Wright during his presidency will join the oral history projects of all Dartmouth presidents since Ernest Martin Hopkins, Dartmouth's 11th president. Wright will begin the interviewing process in the fall and will sit for an extended interview of 25 to 30 hours, he said.
The oral history initiative which was put on hold after former President John Sloan Dickey's interviews were compiled recommenced in 1995 under Wright, he said.
"It's a rich resource for the College to have, and as a historian I have an interest in making sure [oral history interviews are] there," Wright said.
Although the project has become a more permanent institution since 2005, its funding recently decreased as a result of budget cuts at the College, according to Wright.
Wright who is currently on leave from the College is "trying to get back into history" and may serve as a guest lecturer through the history department in the future, he said.
"I have spent the last 20 years working in administration as dean of faculty and president and provost since 1989, but I spent 20 years before that as a faculty member," Wright said. "I don't know that you can compare the two, they really are apples and oranges, but teaching in a Dartmouth classroom is a remarkably energizing experience."
Wright said he does not currently have plans to write a history of the College or a memoir about his experiences at Dartmouth, but that members of the academic community have shown interest in publishing a collection of his compiled public speeches and papers in the tradition of previous College presidents.
Susan Wright, who is a cancer survivor, is helping organize the 29th Annual Prouty Century Bike Ride and Challenge Walk to raise money for the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, according to Wright.
"She misses Dartmouth immensely and this allows her to stay involved with students," Wright said.
