Abstract
The John S. Wright Faculty Papers (1951-1975) are comprised of faculty papers from and about Dr. John S. Wright who was considered one of the founding faculty members at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The collection documents Wright's involvement in establishing UNLV as a separate university from the University of Nevada, Reno. The collection includes memoranda, correspondence, meeting minutes, and reports from different committees Wright was a part of including Academic Council, Faculty Senate, and other ad hoc committees.
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Scope and Contents Note
The John S. Wright Faculty Papers (1951-1975) are comprised of faculty papers from and about Dr. John S. Wright who was considered one of the founding faculty members at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The collection documents Wright's involvement in establishing UNLV as a separate university from the University of Nevada, Reno. The collection includes memoranda, correspondence, meeting minutes, and reports from different committees Wright was a part of including Academic Council, Faculty Senate, and other ad hoc committees.
Access Note
Collection is open for research, with the exception of materials that are restricted to protect personally identifiable information. Restrictions are noted at the file level of this inventory and will be open for research use January 1, 2048.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
Materials are arranged alphabetically.
Biographical / Historical Note
John S. Wright was born in 1910 in Enid, Oklahoma and was raised in Newton, Illinois. In 1931, he earned his bachelor's degree in history and in 1938, his master's degree from the University of Illinois. In 1939, he married Lucille Wilson. Together they had three sons, Thomas, Roy, and John S. Jr. During World War II, Wright served as a United States Army Signal and Intelligence Officer in Europe. Subsequently, he earned his Ph.D. in American history from the University of Chicago. In 1956, he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada to begin his professional career at the Southern Regional Division of the University of Nevada, which eventually became the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Wright was both a professor of history and the university's first chairman of social sciences from 1958 until 1966. He continued to work at UNLV for nearly 20 years, during which he worked alongside other faculty to help expand the campus. In 1970, he published his book Lincoln and the Politics of Slavery. In 1975, he received the UNLV Alumni Association's first Outstanding Faculty Award and retired the following year. In 1986, the Nevada Department of Museums and History named him "Man of the Year." Wright passed away on August 10, 1989 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the age of 79.
Sources:
"History Prof John Wright, UNLV pioneer, dies at 79," Las Vegas Sun, August 12, 1989.
"Pioneer UNLV Professor dies," Las Vegas Review-Journal, August 12, 1989.
Preferred Citation
John S. Wright Faculty Papers, 1951-1975. UA-00103. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were received periodically by UNLV Special Collections and Archives; accession number 2020-023.
Processing Note
In 2021, Tammi Kim accessioned the collection and created the finding aid in ArchivesSpace. In 2021, as part of HIST 752, Sana Azim processed the collection and updated the finding aid.
Administrative Information
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Storage Location
Some materials are stored in the Lied Automated Storage and Retrieval Unit (LASR). Advanced notice may be required to access these materials.