Established in 2012.

For generations the Wright family name has been synonymous with philanthropy and community service in Strathroy-Caradoc and surrounding area. The generous contributions of siblings Don, Bill, Clark, Ernest, and Mary Wright have been attached to several significant community projects.

This legacy lives on through the efforts of the Wright Family Performing Arts and Entertainment Centre Foundation, which makes funds available to the community to support performing arts and cultural initiatives.

The Foundation was established by the late Dr. Mary J. Wright, who brought together a volunteer Board of Directors before her passing in April 2014. The Board of Directors has developed a Community Grant process to ensure that her vision of fostering the arts in the area is brought to life. The fund provides financial support for a wide range of projects in the performing arts (music, dance, theatre, etc.) and arts and cultural education.

historical photo of the old wright appliance shop

The Wright Family Performing Arts and Entertainment Foundation was established to enrich the arts and entertainment scene in Strathroy, aligning with the vision of the Wright Family benefactors. The foundation's commitment extends to creating a supportive space for artistic growth and entertainment, making a meaningful impact on local artists and the community. With ongoing funding support for individuals and groups, the foundation aims to foster growth within the arts and entertainment community.

The Foundation is focused on nurturing an inclusive community for arts and entertainment. Recognizing the desire for more entertainment opportunities in Strathroy-Caradoc, the core of its existence is to establish and maintain a sustainable arts and entertainment culture. The foundation works with artists and community to foster an appreciation for the arts through our downtown venue, grant opportunities, art events and entertainment in Strathroy. The foundation works to support the growth of emerging artists in Strathroy, positively influence the perception of the community about the arts and facilitate community access to entertainment.

Board of Directors

Keith Blackwell

Board President

Amanda Kopcic

Director

Robert Gee

Director

Kimberley Campbell

Director

Frank Kennes

Treasurer

Karen Chalmers

Director

Wanda Needham-Dack

Director

John Pammer

Director

Nancy Giles

Director

The Wright Family Performing Arts and Entertainment Centre Foundation's board of directors is volunteer run.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Dr. Mary J. Wright

(1915-2014)

Mary was the beloved sister of brothers Clark and Bill Wright (both of Strathroy), Ernest J.R. Wright Q.C. (of London) and Donald J. Wright (of Toronto). Predeceased by nephew Patrick and great nephew Christian, she is survived and fondly remembered by nieces, nephews, two generations of their children and many dear friends and colleagues who enjoyed her company, friendship and great parties.

Following graduate work in child psychology at the University of Toronto and war service in Britain where she helped to develop care for evacuated children, 1946 saw Mary returning to her alma mater, the University of Western Ontario to begin a professorial career in the field of child psychology. It proved to be a long career of many firsts and paved the way for other women scholars. When in 1960, she became Chair of Western’s psychology department, she was the first female in Canada to chair a major psychology department. Her leadership over the next decade laid the foundation for that department’s research orientation and reputation today.

The first female director of the Canadian Psychological Association in 1959, she later became its President in 1968 and was the first female to chair the Ontario Board of Examiners in Psychology. She served Huron University College as a fellow and Executive Board member. As a lifelong advocate for children’s welfare, Mary founded and continued to support the Mary J. Wright University Laboratory Preschool.

Other professional roles included serving as President of the Ontario Psychological Association, Honorary President (and archivist) of the Canadian Psychological Association, which awarded her its Gold Medal for enduring lifetime contributions to Canadian psychology. She was Honorary Chair of the CPA Task Force on the Status of Women in Canadian Psychology.

In an honour unique in 1989 for a non-American, she was elected a fellow of the American Psychological Association. Among her many publications was a history of Canadian academic psychology which she wrote with C. Roger Myers of the University of Toronto. Mary continued speaking and publishing into her 97th year. Mary was touched and gratified to have her career recognized with many honours and awards, including honorary degrees from four Canadian universities, the Ontario Psychological Association’s award For Distinguished Contributions to Psychology, the Ontario Psychological Foundation’s Year of the Child award, the Association for Early Childhood Education (Ontario) “Children’s Service Award", a Queen Elizabeth Silver Jubilee Medal and the CPA’s Gold Medal. The CPA History and Theory section, which she helped to establish, created a student award in her honour.

Mary’s expertise has been shared through her many volunteer commitments including her roles as member of the board of the London Meals on Wheels, the United Way Appeal, she was an adviser to the Family Service Bureau, the Children’s Psychiatric Research Institute, Thames Valley Children’s Centre Liaison Committee and the Child Guidance Clinic. As a proud Ontarian, she was a member of the Ministry of Education’s Advisory and Planning Committee for the Early Primary Years and of the Ministry of Community and Social Services’ Coordinated Primary Prevention Initiative for Ontario.

As a proud Canadian, she served as a member of the Advisory Academic Panel of the Canada Council and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. At home, she was honoured to be chosen a 2007 YMCA of London “Woman of Excellence", a recognition she hoped made her a role model for her nieces and grandnieces, many of whom were in attendance at the ceremony. A 98 year old Mary was delighted to learn that Strathroy’s newest public school was to be named for her in honour of her lifetime contributions.

Future generations will continue to benefit from her philanthropic support of academic research, theological studies and cultural endeavours, including the Wright Family Performing Arts and Entertainment Centre Foundation and Church of St John the Evangelist where she found comfort, friendship and support.

Please follow this link to view an article which appeared in the Fall 2014 edition of the University of Western Ontario Alumni Gazette http://www.alumni.westernu.ca/alumni-gazette/fall-2014/remembering-mary-wright.html

black and white photo of mary wright so is smiling at the camera infront of book shelves

Don Wright

(1908-2006)

While Don Wright’s introduction to broadcasting did not happen until he was in his late thirties, the next sixty years saw him achieve star status in many fields of radio and television.

Don Wright was born in Strathroy, Ontario, on September 6th 1908. His musical influences began with his family. Ernie, his father, owned a musical instrument store and founded and headed a piano manufacturing firm. His mother was an accomplished pianist and singer, and Donald reportedly began showing signs of singing ability at the age of two. He sang with the church choir, studied the cello, and later learned to play the trumpet. At the University of Western Ontario he got his Classics BA in 1933, while finding time to shine in athletics, particularly the hurdles and the broad jump, and in music, where he played with the orchestra at the university as well as leading a COTC (Canadian Officers’ Training Corps) marching band as a Second Lieutenant. On graduating, Don went to the Ontario College of Education, and during the summer he and his brothers played gigs around Ontario as the Wright Brothers Orchestra, with Don as leader.

On graduating from OCE, Don taught classics, music and history at Sir Adam Beck Collegiate in London, Ontario, and in 1940 was appointed Director of Music for all London schools. With World War II under way, he tried to enlist, but instead was asked to return to Western with the rank of Captain and organize musical units and troop shows to entertain the services. He wrote music for and conducted three different troop shows, as well as organizing and training all the Air Cadet Bands in London’s secondary schools, where he held the rank of Flying Officer in the RCAF.

In 1946, with the war now over, London Free Press and CFPL Radio owner W.J. Blackburn persuaded Don Wright to leave the Board of Education and move over to become Manager of CFPL. He stayed for ten years. Among his first acts in 1946 were to hire future CBC superstar Max Ferguson as an announcer, and give Ward Cornell a job as a sports reporter. Don also gave local boy Tommy Hunter one of his first radio broadcasts. In 1949 he formed the 14-voice Don Wright Chorus, which was first introduced on-air by Guy Lombardo, and broadcast nationally for ten years on U.S. radio as well as in Canada.

In 1955, Don’s daughter Priscilla Wright had a hit recording of The Man In a Raincoat, backed by the Don Wright Septet, and she sang the song on the Ed Sullivan Show on July 23rd of that year. It was in the fifties that Don began what was to be an exceptionally successful new career as a writer of jingles for radio and later television commercials, which earned him the nickname of “The Jingle King”. He was also much in demand by the CBC, as musical director for such series as the Denny Vaughan Show, The Wayne and Shuster Show and Cliff Mackay’s Holiday Ranch, as well as composer of scores for several CBC documentaries, including Pierre Berton’s “Trail of ‘98”, and “The Opening of the Seaway”. He also broadcast frequently with his own Don Wright Singers, a group he formed in 1957.

Though forced to slow down by a heart attack in 1961, Don continued to make his mark on Canada’s music scene. He remained active in many areas of music education, and his Don Wright Charitable Foundation, founded in 1966, provided 34 music scholarships in thirteen Canadian universities. He gave $3,000,000 to his alma mater, the University of Western Ontario, who named the Don Wright Music Education Wing in his honour, and $1,000,000 to the University of Victoria, BC, as well as endowing many other scholarships, particularly to churches and hospitals. While his musical activities earned him substantial fees and royalties, he was also heir to the estate of his late wife, Lillian Meighen, daughter of the Right Hon. Arthur Meighen, and Don was determined to see this money put to good use.

In 1967 he was commissioned to produce a choral work titled Proudly We Praise, which was performed on Canada Day and earned him an audience with the Queen, and the Centennial medal. In his ‘retirement’, Don wrote a 20-volme thesaurus entitled Fifty Years of Music with Don Wright, and donated copies to educational institutions across the country. Other books by Don included The Collegiate Choir, Youthful Voices, Fun To Read Music and Pre-teen Song Settings. He was also a frequent guest speaker at institutions across Canada and the United States.

At his eightieth birthday celebrations in Toronto in September 1988, his daughter Priscilla reprised her hit song The Man in a Raincoat, with Don accompanying her on his trumpet.

On October 17th 2001, Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson invested Don Wright as a Member of the Order of Canada.

Don Wright died in Toronto on June 27th 2006, at the age of 97.

Sources:

The Globe and Mail
University of Western Ontario

Written by Pip Wedge – January, 2007

Article Source: The Canadian Communications Foundation’s Broadcasting History

old photo of don wright, he is smiling and holding a guitar