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