The Joseph Wright Trophy has been in competition among the EARC varsity lightweight eight crews starting in 1938 when the trophy was made available to oarsmen through the cooperation of the American Rowing Association.  Yale University won the trophy in that first year.  The actual original trophy, honoring the memory of the "Dean of Canadian Rowing" and former coach at the University of Pennsylvania, was retired by Cornell in 1965 and the EARC member colleges replaced the award with a silver cup bearing the same name.  In 1966, Harvard was the first to take home the cup.

1946 Harvard	1967 Cornell	1988 Harvard
1947 Harvard	1968 Harvard	1989 Harvard
1948 Princeton	1969 Harvard	1990 Yale
1949 Cornell	1970 Harvard	1991 Harvard
1950 Yale	1971 Harvard	1992 Cornell
1951 Pennsylvania	1972 Harvard	1993 Dartmouth
1952 Pennsylvania	1973 Princeton	1994 Dartmouth
1953 Princeton	1974 Harvard	1995 Harvard
1954 MIT	1975 Harvard	1996 Princeton
1955 Pennsylvania	1976 Pennsylvania	1997 Harvard
1956 Princeton	1977 Harvard	1998 Princeton
1957 Princeton	1978 Harvard	1999 Princeton
1958 Harvard	1979 Yale	2000 Columbia
1959 Harvard	1980 Harvard	2001 Yale
1960 Harvard	1981 Princeton	2002 Yale
1961 Harvard	1982 Harvard	2003 Princeton
1962 Cornell          MIT          Navy	1983 Princeton	2004 Navy
1963 Cornell	1984 Yale	2005 Harvard
1964 Cornell	1985 Princeton	2006 Cornell
1965 Cornell	1986 Princeton
1966 Harvard	1987 Yale