Douglas Tyndall Wright was a Canadian civil engineer who served as the president of the University of Waterloo from 1981-1993. Wright was born October 4, 1927 in Toronto, Ontario to George Charles and Etta Frances (Tyndall) Wright. He received a B.A.Sc. from the University of Toronto in 1949, a Master of Science degree in 1952 from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. from Trinity College, Cambridge in 1954. In 1954, he joined the Department of Civil Engineering at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, becoming Associate Professor by 1958. In 1958, he became a Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Waterloo. He was Chairman of the Department of Civil Engineering from 1958 to 1963 and was Dean of the Faculty of Engineering from 1959 to 1966. During his tenure Waterloo developed the largest School of Engineering in Canada.

From 1967 to 1972, Doug was the Chairman of the Committee on University Affairs for the Province of Ontario. From 1969 to 1972, he was the Chairman of the Commission on Post Secondary Education in Ontario. From 1972 to 1979, he was Deputy Provincial Secretary for Social Development and from 1979 to 1980, he was Deputy Minister of Culture and Recreation. From 1981 to 1993, he served as the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waterloo.

He has served as an advisor to the Government of Ontario and to the Government of Canada. In 1992 he was appointed Chairman of the Canadian Working Group of the Trilateral Task Force on North American Co operation in Higher Education and Research.

Wright died at his home May 21, 2020.