Dartmouth president James Wright chosen a 'New Englander of the Year'

HANOVER, N.H. --Dartmouth President James Wright has been chosen a "New Englander of the Year" for 2007 by the New England Council.

Wright will share this year's honor with Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Peter Meade, executive vice president of corporate affairs at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.

The awards will be presented at the Council's Annual Dinner on Oct. 1 in Boston.

Formed in 1925, the New England Council is an alliance of large and small companies, educational institutions, nonprofit and other agencies. It is the nation's oldest regional business organization, dedicated to promoting economic development and a high quality of life in the six-state region.

Wright, a historian who specializes in American political history, has been a member of the Dartmouth faculty since 1969. He's been president of Dartmouth since 1998.