Winthrop Robins Wright, Jr.
Winthrop Robins Wright, Jr. (Rob), 79
Winthrop Robins Wright, Jr. (Rob), 79, beloved to his wife, family and friends, died peacefully at home on December 22, 2015 from complications of Parkinson’s disease. Born Mar. 31, 1936, in Philadelphia, PA, the son of the late Dr. Winthrop R. and Ruth (Cline) Wright.
Rob was a talented teacher, scholar, civil rights and sanctuary movement activist, mentor, cook, Cajun dancer, handyman, and athlete. ~He was known for his integrity and wonderful sense of humor. Rob was a lifelong fan of basketball and an advocate for the bicycle movement. ~The family summer home in Little Deer Isle, ME was close to his heart.
In Rob's own words “In the fall of 1954, I entered the freshman class at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. After a rather pedestrian semester, I transferred and began the second semester at Swarthmore College, making a rather inauspicious start. I flunked Spanish, barely passed psychology, and did C work in all my other classes. On the upside, that same semester, I met my wife to be; Polly Witte. Truly it was a love at first sight. I majored in history, played basketball, and graduated 1958. We were married on November 28, 1958.” ~Many years later, much to his great pleasure, Rob returned to Swarthmore as an outside examiner for the Honors Program .
After graduation Rob taught 4th grade at the Applewood School in Fitchburg, MA. ~He received his Ph.D. in History from the University of Pennsylvania in 1964. ~Rob joined the University of Maryland faculty in 1967 after having taught at Birmingham Southern College (1963-66) and ~University of Oregon (1965). ~Between 1966 and 1979 he received three Fulbright grants to teach in Venezuela at Universidad de Oriente in Cumana, and Universidad Central and Universidad de Andres Bello in Caracas. ~Rob also received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the General Research Board of the the University of Maryland to research his book on race in Venezuela.
In addition to authoring numerous scholarly articles and serving as a contributing editor to the Library of Congress’ Handbook of Latin American Studies, Rob was the author of two books. British-Owned Railways in Argentina: Their Effect on Economic Nationalism 1854-1948 (1974), and Café con Leche: Race, Class, and National Image in Venezuela (1990). He held numerous leadership positions within the Department of History, as well as on the Faculty Senate and the campus branch of the American Association of University Professors, serving twice as Vice President, and also as President (1973-74). He was also key in establishing the University’s Africa in the Americas program which has since been identified by the University of Maryland’s Alumni Bulletin as one of the school’s outstanding and unique academic
initiatives. ~
Rob was known for his engaging classes and entertaining lectures and being a nurturing mentor for his students, many of whom became life-long friends. ~Following his retirement, he was awarded Professor Emeritus status by the Department of History, based on his scholarly work, quality of teaching, and service to the Department, the University, and the profession. ~
An innate sense of fairness, and deeply affected by experiences in Birmingham, Alabama, led Rob to a lifetime commitment to human rights and race relations. ~In 1965, he drove ministers in the family’s car from Birmingham to Selma during a period of potential violence. ~He was instrumental in founding the Alabama Civil Liberties Union during that time. ~In addition, Rob was active in the peace movement during the Vietnam war. ~Moving from Alabama to Venezuela led to interests in research on race across cultures. ~After retirement Rob completed a manuscript on the role of white civil rights activists in Birmingham in the 1960s, which is near publication. ~
Rob was an active member of All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, DC. ~He served as President of the Board and was a member of the Jubilee Gospel Singers. ~In the early 1970s Rob also led a successful statewide lobbying movement to improve bicycle legislation in Maryland.
After retiring from the University, Rob volunteered in the orthopedics ward of Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Spring, MD, and was named “Volunteer of the Year”. In 2006, Rob and Polly moved to Maine to be closer to their children. There, he became an active participant in the University of Southern Maine’s OLLI program, the Social Justice Program at Allen Avenue Unitarian Church, and in local Parkinson’s support groups.
Rob is survived by his loving wife, Eleanor Witte Wright (Polly), and their three children and families: Eleanor L. Wright (Lisa) and Timothy Hoyt, Geoffrey R. Wright (Jed) and Stefanie Fairchild, and Christopher B. Wright; grandchildren Liam, Benjamin and Jonathan Wright-Hoyt and Ania and Zachary Wright. ~He is also survived by his brother, William (Barry) and KC Wright and two sisters, Naomi Taylor and Susan Hesser, along with their families. ~He was predeceased by his brother John F. Wright (Jack).
Memorial services will be held at 2:00 pm on January 16th at Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church, 524 Allen Avenue, Portland, ME and this summer in Little Deer Isle. Memorial donations can be made to VNA Home Hospice Development Office, 144 State St, Portland, ME ~04101.
Online condolences may be expressed below.
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