Biography.guide
Home › People › Historian › Marion Thompson Wright
Portrait of Marion Thompson Wright

Marion Thompson Wright

1904 – 1962

African American historian

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Marion Thompson Wright

Lived 1904 – 1962 (aged 57–58). Marion Thompson Wright was a historian.

Marion Thompson Wright (September 12, 1902 – October 26, 1962) was an African-American scholar and activist. In 1940, Wright became the first African-American woman in the United States to earn her Ph.D. in history.

Early life Marion Manola Thompson Wright was born in East Orange, New Jersey, on September 12, 1902, to Minnie Thompson and Moses R. Thompson. Wright was the youngest of four children, and had two older twin sisters and a brother who died at a young age.

Few details are available on Thompson's youth, but she attended Barringer High School in Newark, New Jersey. Even as a teenager, she expressed her frustrations with the New Jersey school system as one of two Black students at her high school.

Personal life At the age of 16, Wright married William Moss and had two children, Thelma and James. In the 1950s, she worked with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Death and legacy At the age of 60, Wright's body was found unresponsive inside her car in her garage. Her death certificate states that she died of cardiopulmonary failure; The event is a part of the celebration of Black History Month and in February 2018, Rutgers celebrated their 38th annual lecture series.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1904, East Orange
Birth century
Occupation
Education
Howard University, Teachers College, Barringer Academy of the Arts & Humanities
Employers
Howard University
Also known as
Marion Manola Thompson Wright

People in Marion Thompson Wright's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Marion Thompson Wright's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Marion Thompson Wright?

African American historian (1904–1962)

When was Marion Thompson Wright born?

Marion Thompson Wright was born in 1904 in East Orange.

When did Marion Thompson Wright die?

Marion Thompson Wright died on 26 October 1962.

What was Marion Thompson Wright's occupation?

Marion Thompson Wright was a historian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Marion Thompson Wright

· Wikidata: Q51703881

· DBpedia: Marion Thompson Wright

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Marion Thompson Wright. https://biography.guide/marion-thompson-wright/

MLA: "Marion Thompson Wright." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/marion-thompson-wright/.

Chicago: "Marion Thompson Wright." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/marion-thompson-wright/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:18 UTC