Gordon Wright (historian)

Gordon Wright (April 24, 1912 – January 11, 2000) was an American historian. He focused on modern European history and was the pre-eminent historian on modern French history. He has been recognized nationally and internationally for his work and his method of teaching.

Gordon Wright received his B.A. at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, in 1933. Later in 1957, his alma mater awarded him an honorary degree. In 1939, he completed his Ph D. at Stanford University and wrote his dissertation on Raymond Poincaré and the French Presidency. A copy of his revised dissertation was published by Stanford University Press in 1942.

Immediately after graduating from college, Wright began working as a junior high school teacher. Later, he became a teaching fellow at George Washington University from 1936 to 1937. Then from 1939 to 1943, he began teaching history at the University of Oregon. He left to be a specialist at the U.S. State Department from 1943 to 1944. Late in 1944, Wright led a convoy of vehicles and personnel from Lisbon to Paris to bring reinforcements to the newly reopened embassy, while the fighting was still going on. Afterward, he was told by the State official who gave him this assignment that he was not expected to complete his mission. He stayed in France as a US Foreign Service officer at the embassy in Paris for two years after the war. In 1947, he returned to the University of Oregon as the History Department Chair until 1957.

Wright was hired as a full professor at Stanford University, serving as the executive head of the history department from 1959 to 1965; however he also taught at University of Washington, Northwestern University, Arizona State University, and at the College of William and Mary. His position at Stanford was quite an accomplishment since Stanford University does not usually hire its graduates as professors. Wright returned to Paris for a short time as the cultural attaché in 1967 and stayed until 1969, but decided once again to teach at Stanford University. He was an Associate Dean of Humanities and Sciences from 1970 to 1973, held the William H. Bonsall Professorship of History from 1970 until 1977, served on the Faculty Senate for more than five years, and received the Dinkelspiel award for service to undergraduate education in 1975. Wright retired in 1977 to, as he explained, make room for his successors.

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