Wright, Henry B. (Henry Burt), 1877-1923

Henry Burt Wright was born in New Haven, Connecticut on January 29, 1877. He received the B.A. (1898) and Ph.D. (1903) degrees from Yale University. He was a professor at Yale from 1903-1923. He was active in Christian work among university students and in the work of the YMCA during World War I. He died in Oakham, Massachusetts on December 27, 1923.

From the description of Henry Burt Wright papers, 1880-1928. (Yale University). WorldCat record id: 702179246

• 1877 Jan 29: Born in New Haven, son of Henry Parks and Martha Burt Wright. H. P. Wright was Dean of Yale College from 1884 to 1909. HBW studied at home until entering the New Haven high school; summers were spent in Oakham, Mass.
• 1894 - 1898 : B.A., Yale. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon and the Skull and Bones society and was president of the Christian Association during his senior year.
• 1898 - 1903 : Ph.D., Yale. While pursuing his graduate studies, Wright served as General Secretary of the Yale Y.M.C.A. from 1898 to 1901 and as Graduate Secretary from 1901 to 1903.
• 1901: Co-editor of Two Centuries of Christian Activity at Yale.
• 1903 - 1923 : Throughout his teaching career, Wright continued to aid the work of the Yale and New Haven Y.M.C.A.'s by leading Bible study groups and serving as an advisor. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the Yale Hope Mission. Wright was active in the leadership of various student conferences and in evangelistic campaigns. He was a leading force in the formation of the Young Men's Club of Oakham, Mass. and was involved in Oakham community affairs. He was also a trustee of the Yale-in-China Association.
• 1903 - 1906 : Tutor in Greek and Latin, Yale
• 1906 - 1907 : Instructor in Greek and Latin
• 1907 - 1911 : Assistant Professor, Roman History and Latin Literature
• 1907 Jul 24: Married Josephine L. Hayward. The couple was childless but opened their home to various young people whom they considered as their family.
• 1911: 1907 - 1908 : Study in Europe
• 1911 - 1914 : Assistant Professor, History department
• 1912: Seriously ill with a respiratory ailment
• 1914 - 1923 : Stephen Merrell Clement Professor of Christian Methods, Yale Divinity School. Courses taught by Wright included "Personal Evangelism", "Rural Sociology", "Leadership of Voluntary Bible-study Groups" and "Religious Aspects of Student Problems". He was the leader in the establishment of a department at Yale for the training of Y.M.C.A. secretaries.
• 1917 May-Jul : Chief of Y.M.C.A. religious work at First Reserve Officers' Training Camp, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
• 1917 summer: Taught at the Y.M.C.A. College, Springfield, Mass.
• 1917 Aug - 1919 : Jun Director of religious work for Y.M.C.A., Camp Devens, Ayer, Mass. Wright was in New Haven periodically during this time period due to illness or family and academic commitments.
• 1922: Editor of the Centennial Catalogue of Yale Divinity School
• 1923 Dec 27: Died in Oakham, Mass.

From the guide to the Henry Burt Wright Papers, 1728-1928, (Yale University Divinity School Library)