[2] R. John Wright was born and raised in Michigan, where he attended Wayne State University and worked towards a degree in Liberal Arts.

Two years later, after he had relocated to New England, he met his wife Susan who had a degree in Fine Arts from the University of New Hampshire.

[3] In November 1976, while living in Brattleboro, Vermont, R. John Wright created his first felt doll in the image of a simple male folk character.

Beginning in 1987, every R. John Wright item features an 8 mm brass identification button inscribed with the initials 'RJW.'

In 1984 R. John Wright Inc. began a 13-year relationship with the Walt Disney Company with the development of a range of dolls based closely on the original illustrations by E. H. Shepard in the Winnie-the-Pooh books by A.

In 2016, the company marked its 40th anniversary with joint ventures with Steiff, an extensive array of licensed pieces, and a line of mice, bears, cats, dogs, and lambs.