Photographs by William Taufic.
This page is hardly sufficient to outline the difference that Bob and Suzanne Wright have made in our community—and globally—since they settled in Southport in 1983. From the Bronx and Long Island, respectively, Suzanne and Bob recall humble Catholic upbringings. They were taught to help the needy. In forty-five years of marriage, they have continually applied this lesson, focusing not on their successes, but on enriching the lives of others.
Former vice chairman of General Electric, Bob says civic involvement “was part of the culture at GE. You get that in your blood. You see that you can make a difference.” When GE bought NBC, Bob became chairman and CEO of NBC Universal, a position that brought more connections and clout. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward asked the Wrights to head up the campaign to renovate the Westport Country Playhouse, “to use our influence in the neighborhood,” as Bob puts it.
“Trying to raise $30 million in 2001, after 9/11, wasn’t easy,” Bob continues, “but it’s such an iconic landmark. The idea that they would take it down and build a new one, and lose all that history, really motivated us.” Laura Silence, institutional giving manager at the Playhouse, comments, “There would be no Playhouse today without the Wrights’ extraordinary altruism, generosity and leadership.”
Soon after completing the Playhouse campaign, the Wrights got the devastating news that their grandson, Christian, had autism. “I was shocked by what we learned when we heard the diagnosis,” says Suzanne. “Bob was running a major media association and I had no idea about this disorder. The doctors told me one in 166 kids were affected [in 2004; now it is 1 in 88], and I thought, No one is talking about this?”
The Wrights jumped into action: NBC launched an Autism Week and Bob and Suzanne appeared on the Today Show. In 2005 they founded Autism Speaks, and using Bob’s M&A savvy, merged with three autism organizations across the U.S. But a global epidemic demanded more. “It’s the same as when the AIDS epidemic started,” explains Suzanne. “People were afraid. We need to make this as big as that. Everyone in the world should be concerned.” Autism Speaks opened an office in London, and Suzanne convinced the United Nations to establish a World Autism Awareness Day. The blue lights that now shine from the Empire State Building to the Pyramids on April 2 reflect the Wrights’ perseverance.
Autism Speaks has raised over $180 million and holds 100 walks. Over 200 colleges participate in Autism Speaks U, which “helps college kids understand autism and learn how they can help,” explains Bob. “Autism now affects one in fifty-four boys. The next generation needs to know: Autism is staring you right in the face.” From pushing through an Ad Council campaign to lobbying for autism insurance reform bills (thirty-two states have one now; none did at Autism Speaks’ inception), the Wrights total sixty hours a week for this cause.
Through the years, Suzanne and Bob have supported Make-A-Wish, United Way, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Foundation for Fighting Blindness, Sarah Lawrence and Holy Cross (their alma maters), among others. Suzanne says, “I think all the work we did before autism was to prepare us for this journey.”