Basic Biographical Details Name: | Arthur Francis Stevenson Wright | Designation: | | Born: | 15 February 1918 | Died: | 12 February 1997 | Bio Notes: | Arthur Francis Stevenson Wright was born on 15 February 1918, the son of Arthur Wright, foreman yarn and cloth dyer and his wife Alice Matthew, milliner and was educated at Morgan Academy and from 1936-1940 took the part-time course at the School of Architecture, Dundee College of Art. During this period he was articled tin the practice of Thoms & Wilkie. During the Second World War he served with the Royal Engineers, mainly working on airfield construction in Germany and Burma and was twice mentioned in dispatches for reconnaissance work in Japanese occupied Sumatera. He reached the rank of Captain. He was awarded an MBE on 22 March 1945 for his work on airfield construction.
After the cease of hostilities he returned to Dundee where he became a full-time student, graduating in 1948 and being admitted ARIBA in 1949 and FRIAS in 1954. Having spent some time during his vacations with Gauldie Hardie & Sharpe, he was then taken into partnership by William Gauldie, the practice name becoming Gauldie Hardie & Wright. He was a long-standing friend and intellectual sparring partner to Gauldie. He was elected FRIBA in 1956, proposed by William Sinclair Gauldie, John Needham and Thomas Hill Thoms. In the 1950s the practice undertook a wide range of work inclduing alterations to houses in Dundee and alterations and additions to farm buildings throughout Angus.
Wright was a Vice President of the RIAS from 1964-65, President of the the Dundee Institute of Architects from 1965-7 and President of the RIAS from 1975-77. He also served on the Council of the RIBA, the Architects' Registration Council and was a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building. He retired in 1983.
In person he was not tall but had a military bearing with a somewhat terse manner and did not suffer fools gladly.
Wright died at Cameron Hospital, Windygates on 12 February 1997, aged 78, survived by his wife Catherine Grey Linton who had been a schoolteacher and by his daughter and grandchildren. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | Thorvale, Castlegate, Ceres, Fife, Scotland | Private | | 1997 | | | Carlo, William Street, Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland | Private | 1948 * | | | | 26, Commercial Street, Dundee, Scotland | Business | 1953 * | | | | Hillside of Preston, Tealing, Angus, Scotland | Private/business | c. 1954 * | c. 1956 | | | 1, High Street, Dundee, Scotland | Business | 1956 | | | | 2, Osborne Place, Magdalen Yard Road, Dundee, Scotland | Private/business(?) | 1964 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA Proposals
Buildings and Designs
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Glendinning, Miles | 1997 | Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75 | | Tuckwell Press Ltd | p18 Belmont Hall of Residence | | Municipal Annual | 1964 | Scottish Municipal Annual | 1964-1965 | | | | RIBA | 1948 | The RIBA Kalendar 1948-1949 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | | | RIBA | 1950 | The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | | | RIBA | 1954 | RIBA Kalendar 1953-54 | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Dundee Courier | 1997 | | | Undated obituary | | London Gazette | 20 March 1945 | | | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | H M Register House | Death Register | | | | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | | | RIAS, Rutland Square | Records of membership | | |
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