Dr. John S. Wright was born in Enid, Oklahoma to Ethel and Thomas Clayton Wright on May 1, 1910. He spent his youth in Newton, Illinois, and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from the University of Illinois. He married Lucille Wilson in 1939. During World War II, he served in the United States Army He earned his doctorate from the University of Chicago. He moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1956 to teach at Nevada Southern University, now known as the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He became a leader on campus, Wright Hall on campus was named in his honor. He died in Las Vegas on August 10, 1989.