Title: Lester James Wright collection
Inclusive Dates: 1908-1923

Creator:

• Wright, Lester James, 1886-1922

Call Number: Collection ZT

Quantity:

• .25 Linear Feet
• 1 half-document letter box

Quantity: .25 Linear Feet 1 half-document letter box
Repository:

University of Wisconsin-Madison. Department of Special Collections

Abstract:

The Lester James Wright collection (1908-1923) consists correspondence from Wright, photographs and postcards, certificates, and travel documents. Wright was a former agriculture professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before he became a missionary of the Presbyterian Church. After becoming ordained, Wright began his missionary work in Armenia and Turkey in 1921, focusing on agriculture in Harpoot as well as orphaned children who lived in the area. He made several trips moving hundreds of children to Aleppo to take refuge. He was killed during one of these trips by bandits in 1922.

Language: English .

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-sc-zt

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Lester James Wright was born on June 4, 1886 in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He grew up on the family farm and graduated from high school in 1905. By age 15, Wright had joined the Presbyterian Church and was active throughout high school and into college. In 1911, Wright entered the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Agriculture and majored in soils. He graduated in 1914 and then joined the faculty. He only taught for a single year and then turned his focuse toward the church and missionary work. Beginning in 1916, Wright began looking into agricultural missionary work in India. While he did recieve a full appointment to work in India, he would eventually reject the position.

Wright began attending the McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago in 1916. In the spring of 1919, he graduated from McCormick and was ordained. Wright worked in Wisconsin until he was informed of a missionary opportunity in Turkey in 1920. He left the United States on February 14, 1921. He was loaned to Near East Relief to aid Greek and Armenian refugee children and take responibility for some agricultural projects. After several months, Wright was given permission to move the children to Aleppo. He allegedly made several trips with hundreds of children to Aleppo. On one of these trips in October 1922, Wright and his group were attacked by bandits after delivering the children. Wright was shot and killed. He was only person in the group to have died. He was initially buried in Beirut, Lebanon but his body was transported back to the States and buried in the Vernon Reformed Presbyterian Church Cemetery.

The Lester James Wright collection contains correspondence from Wright to friends and family during his time at McCormick Seminary throughout his time in Turkey and Armenia. Some postcards and photographs are interspersed through this time. There are also documents about his appointment to Turkey as well as newspaper clippings about his death. A detailed biography of Wright's life written by Edward Wicklein is also included.

Access Restrictions

This collection includes no known access restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Collection materials may be subject to laws governing rights. Researchers are solely responsible for determining the rights status of the materials they use. Permission may be required for some uses such as publication or reproduction.

Acquisition Information

Posthumous gift of Jean Raht Cornille (niece to Lester Wright), 2013

MissionariesGreco-Turkish War, 1921-1922 -- RefugeesOrphans -- GreeceOrphans -- Armenia

Box   1   Folder   1	Biography of Wright by Wicklein, 1982
Box   1   Folder   2	Photographs-Groups, 1912
Box   1   Folder   3	McCormick Theological Seminary, 1919
Box   1   Folder   4	Farmers' National Congress Certificate, 1908
Box   1   Folder   5	Vacation Bible School & Wright, 1917
Box   1   Folder   6	Landmark (Waukesha Historical Society), 1983
Box   1   Folder   7	Correspondence, 1918-1919
Box   1   Folder   8	Correspondence, 1921
Box   1   Folder   9	Correspondence, 1921
Box   1   Folder   10	Correspondence, 1921
Box   1   Folder   11	Correspondence-Harpost, 1921-1922
Box   1   Folder   12	Correspondence, 1922
Box   1   Folder   13	Correspondence-Pearl Larson to Mrs. Raht, 1922
Box   1   Folder   14	Correspondence-Wright's Parents to Wright, 1921
Box   1   Folder   15	Travel document in Persian
Box   1   Folder   16	Near East Relief Appointment Letter, 1921
Box   1   Folder   17	Near East Relief General Order #2, 1922
Box   1   Folder   18	Near East Relief Newsletter, 1922
Box   1   Folder   19	Postcards, Photographs 1919-1921
Box   1   Folder   20	Photographs & Postcards in Greece, 1921
Box   1   Folder   21	Photos from Corinth, 1921
Box   1   Folder   22	Postcards, 1921
Box   1   Folder   23	Photographs & Postcards-Turkey, 1921
Box   1   Folder   24	Postcards & Notes, 1921-1922
Box   1   Folder   25	American Orphans at Constantinople-Photographs
Box   1   Folder   26	Death, Funeral 1922-1923
Box   1   Folder   27	Grave
Box   1   Folder   28	Newspaper Clippings-Death, 1923
Box   1   Folder   29	Kodak Envelope