Colin Wright, the Emeritus Norwood and Frances Berger Professor of Business and Society at Claremont McKenna College (CMC), died on June 12, 2025 at age 88.
Wright joined CMC in 1977 as the Dean of the Faculty, later becoming the Senior Vice President and Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics (now the Robert Day School of Economics and Finance). He was an esteemed publisher of academic works focused on economics, political philosophy, and moral philosophy, Heather Antecol, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty and James G. Boswell Professor of Economics, wrote in a recent message to the CMC community.
“His publications included influential papers on consumption theory, permanent income, and urban location in the American Economic Review and the Journal of Political Economy, as well as later research on environmental policy and corrective taxation. In addition to teaching microeconomics, political economy, and public policy at CMC for 35 years, Colin served on the City of Claremont’s Water Task Force,” Antecol shared.
“He was a dedicated teacher, mentor, and friend who loved higher education and helping his community. I offer my deepest condolences to Colin’s family.”
A graduate of Brigham Young University (bachelor of science) and the University of Chicago (master’s and Ph.D.), Wright also taught at Northwestern University and Claremont Graduate School (now Claremont Graduate University) before joining CMC. An avid reader with an impressive personal library, his passion was teaching and molding young minds, with Wright often employing the Socratic method in classes, his family shared with the Claremont Courier.
“In both social and academic circles, he would often be the catalyst to lively debate and discussion on just about any topic,” they wrote. [He] “taught Economics for 53 years and is a testament to the adage that if you do something you love you never work a day in your life.”
A celebration of Professor Wright’s life will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 12, at the Woman’s Club of Claremont, 343 W. 12th St.