U.S. Navy Captain (Retired) Roosevelt “Rick” Wright hails from Elizabeth City, North Carolina and currently lives in Marcellus, New York. In 1966, Captain (Retired) Wright was drafted in the U.S. Army, and he served as a Hawk Missile Electronics Specialist, after completing an advanced course in Missile Electronics at Ft. Bliss, Texas.
He reached the rank of Specialist Fifth Class while serving with the 32nd Air Defense Command in Europe. Rick was also assigned to the U. S. Army and Air Force Motion Picture Service, as a Motion Picture Projectionist and Radio Announcer. In 1981, Captain (Retired) Wright was recruited by the U.S Navy, and he receive a direct commission as a Lieutenant Commander to serve as Naval Campus Liaison Officer for the Naval Recruiting Command and as a Public Affairs Officer for units throughout the Fleet. Captain (Retired) Wright also served as the Media and Educational Consultant for the Secretary of the Navy and held several special assignments including the PAO for the Navy’s Annual Summer Great Lakes Cruise.
Captain (Retired) Wright’s proudest military moment was his frocking and promotional ceremonies on board the U.S.S. Glover (FF-1098), where he was promoted to Commander in July 1986 on the Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois by LT. Jesse Arbor, USN (Retired), who is a member of the famed “Golden 13,” the first Navy African American Officers, who were commissioned in 1944, during World War II.
Rick served his entire life in higher education as a Professor at Elizabeth City State University, Delaware State University, North Carolina Central University, Howard University, and thirty-eight years on the faculty of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
Rick has also had a distinguished career in radio and television. He served as the General Manager, Program Director, Local Sales Manager/Account Executive, and Chief Engineer at various radio station throughout the country. In Syracuse, Rick started his broadcast career at WOLF-AM, and during the early 1970’s, he was “Rick Wright All Through the Night” at WNDR-AM. For over 20 years, Rick was heard over iHeart Radio Station Power620, on a very popular show called, “Old Skool Sunday with Dr. Rick Wright.”
Today, Captain (Retired) Rick Wright serves as the historian on the Board of Directors of the National Naval Officers Association. Rick is also a Professor Emeritus at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
