Harold Wright
- Published: July 18, 2024
Harold Paul Wright, beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away in the comfort of his Yellow Springs home at age 93, July 4, 2024. He was born in Dayton, Ohio, to Mary and Paul Wright and raised in Dayton.
A 1949 graduate of Northridge High School, Harold completed a year studying engineering at Bowling Green University before joining the Navy Seabees. He was sent to New Orleans for one year and then completed his military service in Iwakura, Japan.
While in Japan he soon discovered a passion for the Japanese people and culture. His love for Japan inspired him to use the GI Bill of Rights to obtain his Master’s Degree in Japanese studies at the University of Hawaii. Harold completed all coursework for his doctorate at Columbia University, studying under Japanese scholar Donald Keene. While at Columbia, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study Japanese at Keio University in Tokyo, where he studied Japanese poetry and translation. Due to his natural skills in writing poetry, becoming a translator of Japanese poetry was a satisfying occupation. He became the official translator of the poetry written by Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.
Throughout his career, Harold taught Japanese language and literature, first at The Ohio State University in Columbus for seven years, then at Antioch College, in Yellow Springs, Ohio, until his retirement in 2005. While he was at Antioch College, he and Yuzuru Katagiri, a professor at Kyoto Seika University, established a student exchange between the two colleges. For 14 years, beginning in 1993, many Antioch students studied at Kyoto Seika for a semester. The subsequent semester, Kyoto Seika students studied at Antioch. Many students in this exchange established lifelong friendships. Often the exchange was pivotal in helping these students decide on their long-term interests and careers.
In his retirement, Harold continued to dedicate time to his lifelong project: the translation of Emperor Meiji’s collection of poems. One hundred of his translations of these poems were published by Chuokoron-Shinsha — “Bridge on the Shikishima Way,” 2022, in Japan. In 2024, Chuokoron-Shinsha also published 100 of Harold’s translations of Empress Shoken’s poems. These books fulfilled a commitment made in 1987 to the Chief Priest of the Meiji Jingu at that time, Rev. Takasawa. This 2024 publication coincided with Harold’s achievement of 50 years of sobriety.
A celebration of life will be held on or around June 6, 2025, in Yellow Springs. Harold’s memory is cherished and honored by his beloved family: wife, Jonatha; daughters, Rose Wright and Larina Benson; step-children, Rachelle Bradfute, Danielle Unkefer and Brian Hickam; three granddaughters, Lauren Cromer, Tessa Chapman and Aliya Benson; and step-grandchildren, Elise Watcher, Mike Murphy, Jacob Bradfute, Jenna Bradfute, Aubrey Murphy, Mason Murphy and Ava Murphy; and his great-grandsons, Tucker Chapman and Jack Harold Cromer. Harold Wright is admired by many and will be greatly missed.
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