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Milton Wright Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MS-711

Dates

  • Creation: 1870 - 1961

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on accessing original paper and photographic material in this collection.

All electronic records (indicated by an e-number, e.g., ms711_e0001) listed in this finding aid are processed and available; however, researchers are requested to contact us at least two (2) days in advance to request electronic records.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Biographical / Historical

Milton Wright (1892-1961) was a nephew of Wilbur and Orville Wright. Milton was the oldest child of Lorin Wright and Ivonette (Stokes) Wright; his younger siblings were Ivonnette (Wright) Miller, Leontine (Wright) Jameson, and Horace Wright.

Milton was born November 8, 1892, in Dayton, Ohio. He graduated from Steele High School in 1910 and afterwards attended Miami University. In July 1917, Milton married Ann Grosvenor (1896-1959), who also attended...
college in Oxford, Ohio, at the Western College for Women. Anne was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Grosvenor of Louisville, Kentucky. At the time of their marriage, Milton and Anne lived in Akron, where Milton was employed as a clerk at the B.F. Goodrich Company.

Milton served with the 54th Infantry in France during World War I, from July 1918 to June 1919, when he received an honorable discharge at the rank of Corporal.

After returning from overseas, Milton began working for the Lowe Brothers Paint Company in Dayton, where he started out as a clerk in 1919. He was transferred to the purchasing department in 1922 and served 33 years as assistant purchasing agent before taking over the purchasing agent's position in 1955. The purchasing agent positions involved a good deal of travel.

Milton died on December 2, 1961, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Dayton, Ohio.

Milton and Anne had two sons: Milton Wright Jr. (1920-2005) and George Wilkinson "Wick" Wright (1922-1999). Both sons attended Dayton's Fairview High School and Miami University. Milton Jr. was an accomplished artist and art teacher in Brooklyn and later Cape Cod. Milton Jr. married Breene Loughridge (1921-2013), and they had two children: Martha (Wright) Crouch and Lorin Wright. Wick Wright lived in Miamisburg and worked at the Mound facility. Wick married Suzanne McGuire (1922-1973), with whom he had two children: Stephen Wright and Amanda (Wright) Lane. Wick's second wife was Marion Davis (1928-2013).

Milton Wright (1892-1961) represented the Wright family at several events, in particular at the presentation of the original 1903 Flyer to the Smithsonian Institution on December 17, 1948, the 45th anniversary of flight. Milton's son Wick was very active in this role of representing the Wright family as well and, following his passing in 1999, Wick's children have continued this role.

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Extent

2 linear feet

9.09 Gigabytes (113 digitized postcards)

Language of Materials

English

French

German

Italian

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Arrangement

The collection is arranged into 3 series:

  1. Documents
  2. Photographs
  3. Postcards

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

This collection includes digitized copies of original postcards, and these electronic files require the use of appropriate computer hardware and software. The digitized image files are in TIF format.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Milton Wright Papers were donated to Wright State University Libraries' Special Collections and Archives by Stephen Wright and Amanda Wright Lane, grandchildren of Milton Wright, over multiple accessions from 2016 to 2025.

Title
Guide to the Milton Wright Papers (MS-711)
Status
In Progress
Author
Lisa Rickey
Date
2025
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Wright State University Libraries
Special Collections and Archives
3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy
Dayton OH 45435-0001 USA
937-775-2092