Meet the family 

Milton Wright (Father, 1829-1917) 

Husband of Susan Wright and Father of Orville and Wilbur Wright, Milton Wright was born in 1829 in Indiana. Milton, a devout Christian, was first an abolitionist, and then later  supported the temperance movement. Milton became a minister, and later an editor of the Religious Telescope (a church-related newspaper). Above all, Milton believed in equal rights for all people, despite race and gender. His beliefs were much like those of the Progressives. 

Susan Wright (Mother, 1831-1889) 

Wife of Milton Wright and Mother of Orville and Wilbur Wright, Susan Wright was born in 1831, in Virginia. Susan studied at Hartsville College (rare for women during that time) where she met her future husband, Milton. Susan was more mechanically inclined than her husband, and her sons most likely developed their love of mechanics from being around their mother. 

Katherine Wright (Sister, 1874-1929)


Katherine was born in Indiana, like her two brothers, in 1874. After her mother's death in 1889, she assumed her mother's responsibilities of caring for the family. Katherine, unlike her two brothers, graduated from high school, and college (Oberline College) in 1898. She would later become a teacher in Dayton. 

Orville (1871-1947) & Wilbur (1867-1912) Wright 

Wilbur Wright
Wilbur Wright was the first born to Milton and Susan Wright. Wilbur was born in Indiana in 1867, and would only live to age 45. Wilbur did not finish high school after being forced to move due to his father's job, but he always excelled in academics. Wilbur was described by his father as "self-confident, controlled, and of steady demeanor" (airandspace.si.edu). Wilbur had plans to attend Yale, but was badly injured while playing ice hockey, and later abandoned that dream. Despite his lack of higher education, Wilbur would later work with his brother Orville to build the first successful airplane. 

Orville Wright 
Orville Wright, younger brother of Wilbur Wright, was born in Indiana in 1871. Orville was described as having "boundless curiosity" and a "range of interest," making him much more fit to be an inventor than his older brother (airandspace.si.edu). Orville, like his brother, never graduated from high school, in part due to his inability to focus in a classroom setting. However, despite his lack of higher education, he would work with his brother Wilbur to build the first successful airplane.