Collection: John Shepard Wright papers

Scope and Contents

This collection contains a memorial to John Shepard Wright and a copy of his will, finished in 1945 and received by DePauw after his death in 1951.

Dates

Creation: 1870 - 1951

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Biographical / Historical

John Shepard Wright, who lived from 1870 to 1951, worked for Eli Lilly and Company as a botanist after graduating from Purdue with a B.S. in 1892. His career there spanned 59 years, during which time he worked as a botanist, drug inspector, Director of Advertising, and as a member of the Board of Directors. In his will, Wright left shares of Lilly stock in the form of a trust administered by Lilly Endowment to DePauw University to honor his father, who attened DePauw. Named the John Ellis Wright Memorial Fund, the income from this fund is used for educational improvements. John Shepard Wright also provided $527,000 as a quasi-endowment fund for DePauw upon the death of his sister in 1981.