Henry M. Wriston papers

Henry Merritt Wriston was born on July 4, 1889 in Laramie, Wyoming, and grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts. Wriston graduated from Wesleyan University with a bachelor's degree in 1911, a master's degree in 1912, and then earned his Ph.D. at Harvard University. After serving as an instructor and then full professor of history at Wesleyan from 1914 to 1925, he was appointed president of Lawrence College (now University) in Appleton, Wisconsin. At the age of 35, Wriston was reported to be the youngest college president in the country.

In 1937, Wriston became president of Brown University. He made major changes to the curriculum and the faculty, encouraging students to do their own research and drop in on classes in which they were interested. The changes prompted John D. Rockefeller, Jr., to donate $4 million in 1955 in recognition of Wriston's accomplishments.

In 1954, John Foster Dulles appointed Wriston to a committee to improve the efficiency of the diplomatic corps. Wriston continued to be involved in politics and public issues following his departure from Brown in 1955. In 1960, President Eisenhower appointed him as chairman of the Presidential Commission on Nation Goals. He also served in various capacities with the American Assembly, the World Peace Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the New York Stock Exchange.

Wriston died on March 8, 1978. His first wife, Ruth Colton Bigelow, preceded him in death. Wriston was survived by his second wife, Marguerite Woodworth, whom he married in 1947. Wriston was also survived by two children, Walter B. Wriston and Barbara Wriston.