Who was the father of Wilbur and Orville Wright?

Milton Wright was the father of Wilbur and Orville Wright.

Born in 1828, Milton Wright became a bishop of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. His work required frequent travel, and the family lived in several Ohio and Indiana communities before settling in Dayton, Ohio, where the brothers developed their mechanical interests.

Milton encouraged learning and maintained a large home library. The Wright children also benefited from a family culture that valued investigation, debate, and practical problem-solving. Their mother, Susan Catherine Koerner Wright, had mechanical skills and helped foster the boys’ interest in machines.

Milton did not initially witness the Kitty Hawk flights because the brothers asked the family to keep their plans private until they had reliable results. Orville telegraphed him after the December 17 achievement, and the bishop recorded the news in his diary.