Kenneth A. Wright ’47
Kenneth A. Wright ’47, a physicist who spent more than 60 years at MIT researching the effects of radiation, died Jan. 7. He was 88.
Wright’s area of expertise was in determining the radiation doses required to sterilize, pasteurize and modify materials, and in verifying the effects of these doses on irradiated materials.
Wright came to MIT from the U.S. Army, where he worked on radar during World War II. Between 1947 and 1985, he worked as a physicist staff member of the High Voltage Research Laboratory in the Department of Electrical Engineering. In 1985, he became a half-time staffer in HVRL and in 1995 moved to part-time. During his career, he authored or co-authored more than 70 research papers.
Wright is survived by his wife, Marguerite (Fleming) Wright, four daughters, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A memorial service was held Jan. 12 in Lexington, Mass., where he lived.