Ralph G. Wright

Ralph G. Wright
1989 black and white head and shoulders photo of Ralph G. Wright
Wright in 1989
Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives
In office
1985–1995
Preceded byStephan A. Morse
Succeeded byMichael J. Obuchowski
Minority Leader of the Vermont House of Representatives
In office
1983–1985
Preceded byJudy Stephany
Succeeded byPaul N. Poirier
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives
In office
1979–1995
Serving with Lawrence F. Powers (1979–1981), Marie P. Condon (1981–1987), Richard Pembroke (1987–1995)
Preceded byJoseph J. Caracciola
Succeeded byGerald P. Morrissey
ConstituencyBennington 4-1
Personal details
Born (1935-06-10) June 10, 1935
Arlington, Massachusetts, US
DiedJune 17, 2026(2026-06-17) (aged 91)
Lady Lake, Florida, US
PartyDemocratic
Spouse
Catherine Farese
​
​
(m. 1957⁠–⁠2020)​
[1]
Children4[2]
EducationBoston University
Framingham State University
ProfessionPublic school teacher and administrator
Military service
ServiceUnited States Marine Corps
Years of service
1953–1955
RankPrivate First Class
Unit1st Marine Aircraft Wing
WarsKorean War

Ralph G. Wright (June 10, 1935 – June 17, 2026) was an American teacher and politician who served as Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives.

Early life and education

Ralph George Wright was born in Arlington, Massachusetts on June 10, 1935, a son of Ralph H. Wright and Mary E. Wright.[3][4] He was raised in Lexington and Somerville and left Somerville High School in 1953 to join the United States Marine Corps.[1][a] Trained as a motor transport operator, he served as a military police officer with the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing during the Korean War and left the marines as a private first class in 1955.[1][4][5]

After his military service, Wright worked for the Raytheon Corporation in Newton, Massachusetts while attending Boston University, and he graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.[4][6] In 1963, he received a Master of Education degree from Framingham State Teachers College (now Framingham State University).[6]

Career

Wright in 1967
Wright in 1968

After college, Wright taught and coached at Ashland High School, where he remained for three years.[1] In 1965, he accepted a position as principal of the high school in Newbury, Vermont.[1] In 1966, he became assistant headmaster at St. Johnsbury Academy.[1] In 1967, he was appointed as an assistant professor at Lyndon State College.[1] Wright moved to Bennington, Vermont, in 1968 and was a teacher and director of an alternative education program for troubled teens.[7][8]

A Democrat, Wright served in local offices in Bennington during the 1960s and 1970s, including selectman.[1] In 1978 he won election to the Vermont House of Representatives, where he served from 1979 to 1995. From 1983 to 1985 Wright was the House Minority Leader.[9]

In 1985 Wright was elected Speaker of the House, a victory remarkable for the fact that Republicans were in the majority.[10][11]

Serving as Speaker for 10 years, Wright's candidate recruiting and campaign support work, carried out in conjunction with other Democrats including Representative Paul N. Poirier, who became the House majority leader, saw Democrats become the majority party in the House during Wright's final term.[12]

Wright was defeated for reelection to the House in the Republican sweep of 1994.[13]

At 10 years, Ralph Wright's term remains the longest of any Vermont Speaker of the House.

Later life and death

After leaving the Vermont House, Wright worked briefly as a lobbyist before accepting a position as Special Assistant to the United States Secretary of Education, based in the Boston, Massachusetts regional office.[14]

Wright also authored a memoir, 1996's All Politics Is Personal.[15]

In 2000 Wright retired and relocated to Florida. He authored another book, 2005's Inside the Statehouse: Lessons From the Speaker and was an adjunct professor at Lake-Sumter State College.[16] Wright died in Lady Lake, Florida on June 17, 2026, at the age of 91.[17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Stannard, Bob (26 June 2026). "Commentary – The View From My Place: Remembering Ralph Wright". Manchester Journal. Manchester, Vermont. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  2. ↑ "Ralph G. Wright, Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives and Teacher". Memoritree.com. New York, New York. 19 June 2026. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  3. ↑ "United States Federal Census, Entry for Ralph H. Wright Family". Ancestry.com. Lehi, Utah: Ancestry.com, LLC. 1940. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Selective Service System Registration Card, Ralph George Wright". Fold3. Lehi, Utah: Ancestry.com, LLC. 20 June 1955. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  5. ↑ "T977-US Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1893-1958, Entry for Ralph G. Wright". Ancestry.com. Lehi, Utah: Ancestry.com, LLC. 31 July 1954. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  6. 1 2 "New Faculty Members Added In Six LSC Departments". The Lyndon Critic. Lyndon, Vermont: Lyndon State College. 12 September 1967. pp. 1, 4. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  7. ↑ The Vermont Encyclopedia, by John J. Duffy, Samuel B. Hand and Ralph H. Orth, 2003, page 330
  8. ↑ American Legislative Leaders in the Northeast, 1911-1994, by James Roger Sharp and Nancy Weatherly Sharp, 2000, page 230
  9. ↑ Biography, Ralph G. Wright, Vermont State Archives, State Representative/Speaker of the House Ralph G. Wright Collection, undated, page 1
  10. ↑ Kunin's New Team Takes Over in Vt.[link removed], Michael Kranish and Globe Staff, Boston Globe, January 13, 1985
  11. ↑ Democrats Will Nominate Candidate to Powerful Speaker Post, Bob Kinzel, Vermont Public Radio, December 3, 2008
  12. ↑ Legislative Leadership in the American States, Malcolm Edwin Jewell and Marcia Lynn Whicker, 1994, page 137
  13. ↑ Vermont Reelects Governor, Associated Press, published in Lewiston Sun Journal, November 9, 1994
  14. ↑ Inside the Statehouse: Lessons From the Speaker, by Ralph G. Wright, 2005, pages 229 to 230
  15. ↑ All Politics Is Personal, by Ralph G. Wright, 1996, title page
  16. ↑ Inside the Statehouse: Lessons From the Speaker, by Ralph G. Wright, 2005, title page and author's biography on back cover
  17. ↑ Ralph Wright, 'revered and feared' longest-serving Vermont House speaker, dies at 91

Notes

  1. ↑ After completing his bachelor's and master's degrees, Wright received his GED.[1]
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.