Russel Wright studied at the Art Student’s league, Princeton University and Columbia but never received a degree. His design work is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art. His most famous work was the design for dinnerware produced by the Steubenville Pottery Company in 1937. In addition to his industrial design and furniture design, he was a designer of parks for the National Park service. In 1958 he worked as a consultant to the United States government, travelling to Japan, Cambodia, Taiwan and Vietnam to develop these countries' cottage industries.