Fielding L. Wright

Fielding L. Wright

Fielding Lewis Wright (born May 16, 1895 in Rolling Fork , Mississippi , † May 4, 1956 in Jackson , Mississippi) was an American politician and governor of the state of Mississippi from 1946 to 1952 .

Early years and political advancement

After elementary school, Fielding Wright studied law at the University of Alabama . After his admission to the bar in 1916, he began working as a lawyer in Rolling Fork with his uncle. During the First World War he was a soldier in the US Army . After the war he joined the Democratic Party . Between 1928 and 1931 Wright was a member of the Mississippi Senate , from 1932 to 1940 he was a member of the State House of Representatives and at times Speaker of the House. There he campaigned for the expansion of the roads and the industrial development of the state. In 1943 he was elected lieutenant governor of his state.

Mississippi Governor

After the death of Governor Thomas L. Bailey Fielding Wright had to take over his office on November 2, 1946. After he himself had been elected governor for four years in November 1947, he was able to hold this office until January 22, 1952. During this time, the state's pre-election laws were reformed and Mississippi Valley State University was established. When the Korean War broke out , the National Guard was put on alert. In the school sector, the salaries of teachers were raised and the industrialization of the state was promoted.

There was also racial unrest in Mississippi at the time, but it got less over time. Governor Wright himself was a staunch opponent of the civil rights movement and a supporter of racial segregation . Therefore, he joined the conservative racist stream Thurmond from South Carolina and ran at its side in 1948 unsuccessfully for the office of US Vice President . After all, the duo got over 1.1 million votes nationwide and they won 39 electoral votes from the states of Mississippi, Alabama , Louisiana and South Carolina. In these states, Thurmond and Wright could appear as official Democratic candidates. In all other states they had to run for a third party, the so-called Dixiecrats . The elections themselves were won by President Harry S. Truman , the nationwide official Democratic candidate.

Another résumé

After the end of his governorship, Fielding Wright retired from politics and worked as a lawyer. In 1955 he unsuccessfully applied for a renewed nomination of his party for the post of governor. Fielding Wright died in May 1956. He had two children with his wife, Nan Kelley.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 2, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

• Fielding Wright at the National Governors Association (English)
• Mississippi Historical Society ( Memento from July 2, 2019 in the web archive archive.today )

• Fielding L. Wright in the database of Find a Grave (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Mississippi History Now (engl.) ( Memento of the original March 4, 2016 Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link is automatically inserted and not yet tested. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.