H.R. No. 2751
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The life of a towering figure in state and national
politics drew to a close with the passing of former United States
House speaker Jim Wright of Fort Worth on May 6, 2015, at the age of
92; and
WHEREAS, Born in Fort Worth on December 22, 1922, James
Claude Wright Jr. was the son of James Claude Wright Sr. and Marie
Lyster Wright; he graduated from Adamson High School in Oak Cliff
and attended Weatherford College before enrolling in The University
of Texas at Austin; following Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the U.S.
Army Air Corps and became a bombardier with the 380th Heavy Bomb
Group; he flew 30 missions over Japan, and he was awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster; and
WHEREAS, After the war, Mr. Wright began working for the
National Federation of Small Business in Fort Worth, and he became
engaged in politics, helping to found the Young Democrats; at the
age of 23, he won election to the Texas House of Representatives
from Parker County, and he went on to serve as mayor of Weatherford
from 1950 to 1954; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Wright was elected in 1954 to the first of 15
terms in the United States House of Representatives; as a member of
the Public Works Committee, he tirelessly promoted investment in
infrastructure, including the Dallas-Fort Worth International
Airport, water reservoirs, and Trinity River flood control; he
brought millions of federal dollars to Tarrant County for aircraft
contracts and for such major projects as the redevelopment of the
Stockyards and construction of the Fritz G. Lanham Federal
Building; with his namesake Wright Amendment, he promoted the
growth of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in the wake
of airline deregulation; President John F. Kennedy, in his last
speech, said "I know of no other city in the United States that is
better represented in the Congress of the United States than Fort
Worth"; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Wright became house majority leader in 1977, and
10 years later, he was elected speaker of the house; deeply
committed to international peace, he traveled to the Middle East to
prepare the way for the historic 1977 Camp David agreement; later,
he mediated a settlement to end the grinding civil war in Central
America and bring about democratic elections in Nicaragua; ranked
as one of the most powerful speakers in the history of the house, he
also guided the enactment of bills on clean water, highways, aid to
the homeless, and education benefits for military personnel; and
WHEREAS, After leaving public office, Mr. Wright remained
very active in civic life; he lectured widely, authored several
books, and wrote a weekly column for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram;
he taught a popular course at Texas Christian University, "Congress
and the Presidents," and he donated his archives to the
institution; he loved to talk to students about politics, their
studies, and other topics, and when failing eyesight prompted him
to retire in December 2010, he continued to tutor and mentor young
people; warm and congenial, he was never too busy to stop and shake
hands or give a hug to citizens who approached him; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Wright was joined in matrimony to his college
sweetheart, Mary "Mab" Lemons, in 1942, and they became the parents
of five children, James, Virginia, Kay, Parker, and Alicia; their
marriage spanned 28 years; fortunate to find love a second time,
Mr. Wright married the former Betty Hay in November 1972, and they
shared a fulfilling relationship for over four decades; and
WHEREAS, A visionary statesman and highly effective leader,
Jim Wright devoted himself to the betterment of his beloved Texas
while playing an enormous role in shaping the nation's public and
foreign policy, and his myriad accomplishments will continue to
resonate in the years to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of the Honorable Jim
Wright and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family:
to his wife of 42 years, Betty Hay Wright; to his children, James C.
Wright III, Virginia Sue McGuire, Kay Wright Nelson, and Alicia
Marie Carnes; to his sister, Betty Lee Wright; to his 15
grandchildren; to his 24 great-grandchildren; and to his other
relatives and friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of the
Honorable Jim Wright.
Goldman
Turner of Tarrant
Geren
Collier
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2751 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 21, 2015.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House