Karl T. Wright papers

Record Group

Identifier: UA-17.197

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of biographical information and publications of Karl Wright. Included is the report "Michigan State University and the University of the Ryukus: An Experience in International Cooperation (1951–1986)" by Diane Broersma Wright on behalf of Karl Wright. This report includes three photographs of the University of the Ryukus. Other materials are writings, speeches, and correspondence by Wright during his experience there and his recollections. There are also letters from Margaret Harris, the previous Chief of Staff at the university (1955–1958). There is also copies of correspondence received and sent by the Wrights. Also included are slides, photographs and negatives related to the Wrights travels and work in Okinawa, University of the Ryukyus, Taiwan, England and other countries. The images show agriculture, landscapes, places and people.

There is also a work written by Diane Broersma Wright (2006) that includes Wright’s biography, publications, and a chronological list of places travelled.

Dates

Creation: 1920, 1924, 1941-1986, 2006

Creator

Wright, K. T. (Karl T.) (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Biographical Note

Karl Theodore Wright was born December 16, 1901 in Walker, Illinois. He married Marguerite Bosworth on September 11, 1933. They had one son, Richard.

Wright graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign with a B.S. in agriculture in 1924 and a M.S. in agricultural economics in 1929. He completed his Ph.D. in 1940 at Cornell University in farm management.

He was hired by Michigan State College (now Michigan State University) in 1929 as a research assistant in farm management and was promoted to assistant professor in 1935. This was followed with associate professor (1940), research professor (1945) and professor (1949).

In 1951–1952, he worked with the U.S. State Department, Economic Cooperation Administration and the British Ministry of Agriculture.

In 1952, he returned to MSC as a professor in agriculture. From 1958 to 1960, he was Director of the MSU Advisory Group at the University of the Ryukus and returned to MSU in 1960. In 1972, he was granted professor emeritus status.

He continued to work in agriculture economics with development agencies for Korea and other organizations in southeast Asia until 1990.