Langdon ‘Lanny’ Wright
Associate Professor, History, Folkore
The Cooperstown Graduate Program honors the memory of Professor Langdon “Lanny” Wright, who spent 30 years as an Associate Professor teaching Folklore and History. He started his career at CGP with many of the original faculty, Lanny was an important link between the start of the program and what it looks like in the modern day. Lanny earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard University, then served in the United States Army. Afterwards he went on to earn his Ph.D at Cornell; Lanny liked to say that "I attended Harvard and was educated at Cornell." Lanny’s care for his students and the education he imparted to them was well known; he was a vital part of the fabric of CGP. Professor Wright’s dedication to his students and history left an indelible impact on both the alumni he taught, and the students who interacted with the CGP traditions he began.
Lanny loved to cook, loved good bourbon and good food. He was an authority on the best stops to eat anywhere East of the Mississippi. Every year for the Cooperstown Graduate Program’s Interview Weekend Lanny would make his famous Five Cheese Lasagna, a glorious dish which would include seven pounds of noodles and seven and a half pounds of assorted cheeses. His recipe is attached to this webpage in case you want to experience Lanny’s famous cooking for yourself.