s ▁chem istry ▁department . ▁He ▁became ▁M IT ' s ▁prov ost ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁ ▁Washington ▁University ▁in ▁St . ▁Louis ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁he ▁left ▁M IT ▁to ▁become ▁ch an cell or ▁of ▁Washington ▁University ▁in ▁St . ▁Louis . ▁The ▁new ▁position ▁required ▁him ▁to ▁give ▁up ▁an ▁active ▁research ▁career . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁highest ▁paid ▁university ▁heads ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁making ▁$ 7 3 8 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁In ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁Wright on ▁was ▁mentioned ▁as ▁a ▁candidate ▁for ▁Harvard ▁University ' s ▁presiden cy . ▁ ▁As ▁ch an cell or , ▁he ▁led ▁two ▁major ▁capital ▁campaign s ▁that ▁resulted ▁in ▁contributions ▁total ing ▁nearly ▁$ 5 ▁billion , ▁including ▁approximately ▁$ 1 ▁billion ▁for ▁student ▁financial ▁aid , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 0 0 ▁end owed ▁professor ships . ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Association ▁of ▁American ▁Univers ities ▁( 2 0 0 4 - 2 0 0 5 ) ▁He ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁past ▁chair ▁of ▁the ▁Business - High er ▁Education ▁Forum ▁( 2 0 0 4 - 2 0 0 6 ) ▁and ▁the ▁Cons ort ium ▁on ▁Fin ancing ▁High er ▁Education ▁( 2 0 0 0 - 2 0 0 1 ). ▁ ▁Major ▁program m atic ▁initi atives ▁during ▁Wright on ' s ▁ch an