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© 2003 Smith College. All rights reserved.
Frederick Warren Wright was born in Middletown, Rhode Island to the Reverend William Arter Wright and Sarah Elizabeth Longley Wright on March 8, 1885. He had one older sister named Bertha. He earned his A.B. in Classics from Wesleyan University in 1906, his A.M. from Harvard in 1908 and his Ph.D. from Princeton in 1910. His dissertation was titled "Studies in Menander." In 1915 Professor Wright married Louise Marion Fisher, a graduate of Vassar and of Teachers' College, Columbia University. Mrs. Wright taught physical education at Smith and was the director of the day school.
Professor Wright was always an educator, but his first job, when he was not engaged in his studies at Wesleyan or Harvard, was as a reporter for the Chautauqua Daily in New York. His first position in a school was as the Assistant Principal of a high school in Portland, Connecticut, and then as a lecturer in Latin at Bryn Mawr. Professor Wright came to Smith in 1911 as an Instructor in Latin. He was made assistant professor in 1914, associate professor in 1920 and professor in 1937. In 1942 he was appointed Chair of the Classics Department. Professor Wright also served as Marshal between 1925 and 1947 and as a member of the Board of Admissions from 1934 until his retirement in 1953.
Professor Wright's scholarly interest concerned ancient drama and theater, and he published a number of articles, and one book, titled Cicero and the Theater (1931), on this topic. His articles were published in the Classical Journal, Journal of Classical Philology, Classical Weekly and the American Journal of Philology. He traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Mediterranean for his research of ancient theater sites. Professor Wright was also a member of several professional organizations including the Archaeological Institute of America, the American Classical League, the Classical Association of New England, the American Association of University Professors, the Classical Society of the American Academy in Rome, the Association Guillaume Bude, The Socratic Literary Society and Phi Beta Kappa. He was also a member of the Hampshire County Red Cross and the Northampton Kiwanis Club.
Professor Wright died on July 31, 1966.
The Wright Papers amount to approximately 5.5 linear feet, and include biographical data, Classical Association of New England bulletins, correspondence 1879-1953, diaries, educational records, Kiwanis Club material, lectures, photographs, publications and research, Smith College records, speeches and war service. Of these 5.5 feet, 1.5 feet is composed solely of letters between Professor Wright and his mother, Sarah Longley Wright between the years of 1894 and 1938. The Wright Papers also include files on William Arter Wright, Sarah Longley Wright and Louise Marion Fisher Wright. Among Louise Wright's files are sketch books, letters and photographs.
All files are open to research according to the regulations of the College Archives.
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish any material from the F. Warren Wright papers must be secured from the Smith College Archives.
Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:
F. Warren Wright Papers, Box #. Smith College Archives.
The F. Warren Wright Papers came to the college as a series of donations from Professor Wright, and from his Estate.
Processed by Elizabeth Kates.