Major Richard Robert Wright, Sr. Correspondence with Booker T. Washington
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Authors
Asa H. Gordon Library Special Collections
Issue Date
2016-04-26
Type
Other
Language
en
Keywords
African American universities and colleges--Georgia—Savannah , Chatham County (Ga.) , Savannah (Ga.) , University and Colleges -- Georgia -- Savannah , Savannah State University (Ga.) , Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youths
Alternative Title
Abstract
Description
Letters of correspondence with Booker T. Washington 1899-1906. Major Richard R. Wright, Sr. served as the first president of Georgia State Industrial College. During his thirty year tenure, enrollment increased from 8 to 585 students and the expanded curriculum included a normal division, courses in agriculture and mechanical arts, and four years of high school. The college awarded its first baccalaureate degree in 1898. He was an American military officer, educator, politician, civil rights advocate, and banking entrepreneur, who served as president from 1891 to 1921. Wright resigned as President in June 1921 and moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There he opened the only African-American owned bank in the north, Citizens & Southern Bank & Trust. He was the first African American to serve as an Army paymaster and was the highest ranking African-American officer during the Spanish-American war.