page_title: John Henry Wright
section_title: Relationship with Swami Vivekananda
hierarchical_section_title: John Henry Wright / Relationship with Swami Vivekananda
caption_attribution_description: In 1896 Swami Vivekananda delivered a series of lectures in London. This photograph (and few other photographs) were taken in this period in December 1896. The image was printed in both black and white and color and was circulated to the disciples of Vivekananda of England and America.
context_page_description: John Henry Wright was an American classical scholar born at Urumiah, Persia. He earned his Bachelors and Masters at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire. After junior appointments in 1886 he joined Johns Hopkins as a professor of classical philology. In 1887, he became a professor of Greek at Harvard, where, from 1895 to 1908, he was also Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
  Some of Wright's most notable works are A History of All Nations from the Earliest Times, a 24–volume history of the world; the translations Masterpieces of Greek literature; and The Origin of Plato's Cave. He was active in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philological Association, and similar organizations. From 1889 to 1906 he co-edited the Classical Review and from 1897 to 1906 he was chief editor of the American Journal of Archaeology.
  In 1893 Wright met the Indian Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda, who greatly influenced him; Wright described Vivekananda as "more learned than all our learned professors put together."
  Wright received LL.D.s from Dartmouth and Case Western Reserve University in 1901. He died on 25 November 1908 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
context_section_description: In 1893, Swami Vivekananda went to the United States to the Parliament of the World's Religions as a delegate of Hinduism and India. After reaching Chicago on 30 July 1893 he learned that no one could attend the Parliament as delegate without credential or bona fide. He did not have one at that moment and he felt utterly disappointed. He also learned the Parliament would not open till first week of September. But, Vivekananda did not give up his hope. To cut his expenditure he decided to go to Boston which was less costly than Chicago.
  On 25 August 1893, at Boston, Vivekananda met Wright for the first time. Wright was amazed by Vivekananda's profound knowledge and urged him to attend the upcoming Parliament as a speaker. He was so much astonished that he invited Vivekananda to stay in his house as a guest. From 25 August to 27 August 1893, Vivekananda stayed at Wright's house at 8 Arlington Street.
  When Vivekananda told Wright that he did not have any credential or bona fide to attend the Parliament he reportedly told him— "To ask you, Swami, for your credentials is like asking the sun about its right to shine." Then Wright himself wrote a letter of introduction to the chairman of the Parliament of the World's Religion and suggested to him to invite Vivekananda as a speaker stating — "Here is a man who is more learned than all our learned professors put together." Wright also learned that Vivekananda did not have enough money to buy a railway ticket, so, he bought him a railway ticket too. Even after the conclusion of the Parliament, they kept in touch with each other through correspondence. Vivekananda remained ever thankful to Wright for his help and kindness. In a letter written on 18 June 1894, Vivekananda addressed Wright as brother and wrote — "Stout hearts like yours are not common, my brother. This is a queer place — this world of ours. On the whole I am very very thankful to the Lord for the amount of kindness I have received at the hands of the people of this country — I, a complete stranger here without even 'credentials'. Everything works for the best."
caption: Wright met Vivekananda in Boston in August 1893. About Vivekananda, he commented—  "Here is a man who is more learned than all our learned professors put together."
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