Issue Contents :: Letters :: Page [ 1 2 ] Letters Nice Work The Wright Sister The article on Katharine and her brothers was very interesting. Having attended many math classes in the Wright building, we have wondered about how it was named; we're glad to learn the full story. The article also reminded us of a story passed on by Sue's mother, Willamay Lindsay Evans '20, who told us that she roomed with a niece of the Wright brothers named Lee, and that the Wright brothers helped finance Willamay's own Oberlin education. Since Willamay was known to embellish a good story, we were never sure if it was 100 percent true. But now that we know that Orville visited Oberlin frequently, perhaps it's plausible that he did help Willamay, who was on her way to becoming a Latin teacher. Perhaps you can let us know if a Lee Wright attended Oberlin at the time of Willamay Evans, Class of 1920. Editor's note: Leontine Wright, who was the daughter of Lorin Wright and niece to Wilbur, Orville, and Katharine, did graduate from Oberlin in 1920. She married John Jameson. Please confirm that the photograph on page 26 is really that of Katharine and Wilbur Wright in childhood. Both the clothes and haircuts do not look appropriate for the 1890s. Editor's note: Several alert readers called attention to the error, and we thank Owen Cramer '62 for setting the record straight. The children, also named Wilbur and Katharine Wright, are actually the grandchildren of the aviators' older brother, Reuchlin. Coincidentally, both are also Oberlin grads. The late Wilbur Herbert Wright, Class of 1942, married Priscilla Stearns, Class of 1942. Katharine Wright Chaffee, who left Oberlin in 1944, lives in Carlsbad, Calif. We apologize for the error. Excellent article on Katharine Wright. One small note. In the sidebar on page 27 you say that the crankshaft of the engine was made of aluminum. I doubt it! The crankcase certainly, the pistons probably, the connecting rods possibly–but not the crankshaft. You could check with the folks at The Wright Exper-ience (www.wrightexperience.com) who built the replica for more info. Next Page >> |