As Princeton's Number Two, Wright '62 makes a difference 'Within the Gate'

After his graduation from Princeton in 1962, University Vice President and Secretary Tom Wright thought working as an administrator at the University was the last thing that he would be doing.

"I never imagined coming back to Princeton to work," he explained.

But when Wright was approached by newly-appointed University president William Bowen GS '56 in 1972 to fill a new administrative position, he found the offer very difficult to resist.

"It was just such an attractive opportunity at that time in my life," he added.

For 10 years after his undergraduate tenure at the University, Wright had virtually no contact with Princeton, other than sending in his annual contributions.

He spent some time at Cambridge University before attending Harvard Law School. He went on to practice law in Washington and after that in New York.

It was then that Bowen came to Wright and offered him a position as general counsel. Accepting the offer, Wright said he was doubtful of how long the job would last.

"I expected it to be a five-year job," he admitted.

Today, Wright can see that both the position he originated and his work with the University would last much longer.

"Nothing more interesting or more rewarding came along," he said.

According to Wright, his career here has been rewarding for many reasons.

For one thing, he said, his work at the University has encompassed a wide variety of different legal areas.

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"Most lawyers end up specializing a lot more," he noted, explaining that his work has been much more varied and interesting.

Wright also enjoys working with the Board of Trustees, as his job requires. As the secretary of the board for 28 years, he said has worked with hundreds of "incredibly varied but always extraordinarily interesting people."

"I've enjoyed working with two very effective presidents," he said, adding that Presidents Bowen and Shapiro were very different.

The myriad of different tasks and responsibilities that Wright has, especially since advancing from general counsel to vice president, also make the job worthwhile. "My work is constantly changing," he said. "I am an all-purpose kind of administrator."

Looking back on his days as a University student, Wright remembered how much he enjoyed his time as an undergraduate.

"I had wonderful lectures and wonderful precepts," he recalled. He was also a starting member of the sprint football team — which was then called lightweight football — an officer at Theatre Intime and social chair at Ivy Club. "We had the most popular parties on the street," he added.

Wright concentrated in a program that no longer exists at the University — called the special program in the humanities — which required a thesis to focus on at least three different departments of study.

A number of other things have changed since he was a student here, Wright said, pointing out the addititon of women and many more minorties to campus. He also said that the University has become a much stronger research and educational institution as a whole, and has made vast improvements in the arts.

On the other hand, one thing that has not changed is the popularity of the University's vice presidents, or lack thereof, he admitted.

"I didn't know who the administrators were when I was an undergraduate, I don't expect them to pay any attention to me," he said chuckling. The only times during which he has been highly visible on campus, he said, were in times of controversy or public disputes.

Wright has become acquianted with some students over the years, especially those involved with the USG and other University committees. He also advised a few theses and taught for a short while in the politics department.

Because many students do not even realize that his position exists, Wright speculated that more students do not even understand what he does.

Reflecting on his administrative work, Wright recalled some of his proudest achievements as a University administrator.

"One of them would certainly be participating in the development of the Frist Campus Center," he said. "I think that's going to have a very positive long-term impact on Princeton."

Looking ahead, Wright does not see himself staying with the University for too much longer. "I'm looking forward to retirement in not too many more years," he explained, adding that his current position is definitely the last stop on his career path.

After retirement, Wright has plans for a house in the Caribbean off the coast of Puerto Rico. He said he also looked forward to having more time for his family, including his son — a Princeton alumnus — his daughter and his four grandchildren.

As far as the near future is concerned, Wright said he was not quite sure how the departure of President Shapiro would affect his position.

"Under President Shapiro, I have had broader responsibilities," he explained, adding that his role may or may not change.

Whether he will have more or fewer responsibilities, and whether he stays two or 20 more years, Wright said he would carry the pride of the university where he has spent half his life for years to come.