Eddie Wright

Growing up in Chatham, Ontario, during the 1950s and 1960s, Eddie Wright was no stranger to the adversity minority athletes faced as they attempted to compete amongst their white counterparts. As the first Black player to play with the Chatham Maroons, he became a force to be reckoned with inside the arena. Even so, his skills went beyond the rink and took him to the baseball diamond. With 5 OBA championships to his name, one of which came alongside Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins, Wright developed a reputation as a dynamic athlete and terrific student. He attended Boston University and became part of the “UN Line” with Chatham native Herb Wakabayashi and Montreal dynamo Serge Boily. At five feet four inches tall, Wright was a tenacious player, and a menace in the red zone, but he realized that his size would be a limiting factor if he wanted to play professionally. With his concentration on his academics, he finished school and pursued his lifelong desire to be a teacher. Wright was hired by the University of New York at Buffalo and went on to teach there for over 40 years. During that time, he became the first Black head coach in the NCAA. His accomplishments earned him a spot in the Chatham Kent Sports Hall of Fame, and the University of New York at Buffalo named the practice facility and gymnasium in his honour.^[1] 

Researched and written by Mark McWhinney, University of Windsor student