Nearly five years after he stepped down as College President, James Wright starts his day with a workout session on a treadmill, a cup of coffee and a piece of toast or bowl of cereal. On Sunday mornings, he treats himself to ham, bacon and eggs. He would like to have them more often, he said, but concluded that it wouldn’t be good for his health.
At 74 years old, Wright still teaches in the College’s history department, as he did when he first came to Dartmouth in 1969.
Professors say he developed some of the most significant American political history courses at the College, including one on U.S. political history in the 20th century, which is still offered today.
Wright’s teaching has focused on the experiences of American soldiers in the conflicts following World War II. Since his retirement in 2013, Wright has taught a history seminar on American veterans’ stories as the Eleazar Wheelock professor of history emeritus.
History professor emeritus Gene Garthwaite, who came to the College in 1968, said Wright impressed the faculty members even before he joined the College and was a welcome addition to the department.
Garthwaite recalled that at the end of Wright’s first year, the history department chair said the young professor had the potential to become president of the College.
History professor David Lagomarsino agreed, saying that by the end of his first year, Wright was already a legend in the department. With his sense of humor and natural teaching ability, Wright quickly became one of the most popular history professors, he said.
His academic interest in war reflects a deep-rooted fascination with veterans’ experiences.
A 2005 visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center marked a turning point in his life, Wright said. He became increasingly involved in the scholarship on the experiences of veterans.
During his trip to the center, he visited veterans by their bedside and encouraged them to consider going to college. Although he did not intend to recruit students to Dartmouth, some veterans at Walter Reed decided to apply, and Wright guided them through the process and continued to help them after they arrived on campus.
Wright said he is still in touch with veterans both inside and outside the College. He has visited Walter Reed around 30 times in the last several years and delivered lectures on veterans’ experiences at institutions such as Texas A&M University and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He also regularly interacts with student veterans at dinners and other informal meetings.
Upon recognizing the lasting emotional impact of recent wars on the U.S., Wright wanted to “put human faces” to the story.
“As a historian, I was very frustrated when I discovered that there really were no books that gave this historical overview,” Wright said. “And a friend of mine told me to quit complaining and write the book myself, so I did.”
Wright published “Those Who Have Borne the Battle: A History of America’s Wars and Those Who Fought Them” in May 2012, telling stories of American veterans that passed away in battle through tales from their co-combatants. He is currently at work on a book about the Vietnam War.
Garthwaite and Lagomarsino said Wright’s career bloomed while he was the dean of the faculty.
During James Freedman’s presidency, Wright led a curricular review which examined graduation requirements, as well as a successful capital campaign which serves as the model for current College capital campaigns, Garthwaite said.
After becoming president, Wright focused on improving College infrastructure. During his presidency, the College invested in academic buildings and nine residence halls.
“I never thought of myself as being a bricks and mortar person, but when you have a college campus up here in the north country, you have to think about the bricks and mortar,” he said. “When you think about the needs of modern research and learning for both faculty and students you need to have the facilities that will enable to them.” Wright also hired more professors to reduce the student-to-faculty ratio and prioritized fostering diversity within the student body.
He said he wanted to ensure that financial concerns would not hinder students from diverse backgrounds from applying to Dartmouth, so he expanded financial aid policies, tripling the budget for undergraduate aid and eliminating loans.
Wright had to navigate two tragedies during his presidency — 9/11 and the murder of two Dartmouth professors. In the process, Wright said he learned that building a peaceful community is not about immunizing it from potential tragedies, but responding in a healthy way.
Since leaving Parkhurst Hall, he said he has avoided shaping current Dartmouth policy, though he said he is always available to the College’s leadership.
Tyler Kuhn ’14, a student taking Wright’s course this term, said that Wright helps his students understand the nature of warfare and aspects of veteran experiences that are difficult for them to empathize with, adding that the former president is down-to-earth and easy to talk to.
“What always struck me about him is humility and decency,” Kuhn said.
Wright said that working as the dean and the president of the College, he had to confront hardships at times but appreciated the opportunities to interact with faculty members and students. He said he misses walking across campus and greeting students, many of whom he knew.
For all his administrative success, Wright defines himself as a teacher and a historian, he said, and would like to stay that way.
