Katherine Wright Exhibit | Graphic by Rose Taylor | The Wright State Guardian
Katharine Wright, the younger sister of the Wright brothers, turned 150 on Aug. 19. Her work and family letters were on display in the Dunbar library to celebrate.
About the event
Wright State University, which was named after Wilbur and Orville Wright, has special collections and archives that are kept in the Dunbar Library. This includes primary sources from the Wright family, documenting their flight journey.
Toni Vanden Bos, the WSU special collections archivist, has gathered some of these documents and Wright family memorabilia to put together a gallery, honoring the memory of Katharine Wright and celebrating her accomplishments.
Who was Katharine Wright?
Katharine Wright was the younger sister of Wilbur and Orville Wright. She was born on Aug. 19, 1874, sharing a birthday with Orville.
Sadly, their mother died of tuberculosis when Katharine was only 14-years-old, leaving her to look after the household. Although she spent so much time taking care of her family, she continued to go to school.
Toni Vanden Bos had some details to share about Katharine’s life.
“Known for excellence, Katharine was the only of her siblings to attend college, graduating from her beloved Oberlin College in 1898, where she had made life-long friendships,” Bos said.
After graduating from college, Katharine returned home to Dayton. She continued to look after her family, including running their bicycle business, while working in her field.
Katharine became an English and Latin teacher at Steele High School. Katharine led an incredible life outside of the family.
“In 1909, not only did the French award Wilbur and Orville the French Legion of Honor, but they recognized the important role Katharine had in their success by awarding her a French Legion of Honor medal as well,” Bos said.
Life with the Wright brothers
Growing up, Katharine was very close with her brothers. They also had two older brothers, Reuchlin and Lorin, but they were not as close as Katharine was with Wilbur and Orville. She spent her life supporting them and their dream of flight.
Katharine ran the bike shop for her brothers so they could travel and do flight experiments. When Orville had a serious flight injury, she left her life in Dayton, Ohio behind to go be with her brother.
Once he had recovered, she continued to stay with him and Wilbur to help with their plans.
She became a very important part of their journey. Included in this exhibit were letters from Katharine to her husband, Henry Haskel. She wrote to him about the family business.
“Orville is planning to go to the Island at the end of this week. I may go, too, if I hear that the meeting is to be postponed,” Katharine said.
She often attended meetings, talked to the press, and handled issues her brothers were not always able to take care of. It is because of Katharine Wright’s sacrifices and support that the Wright brothers were able to succeed.
More information on Katherine Wright can be found on Wright State University Libraries' Special Collections and Archives website.
