Luke Edward Wright

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Luke Edward Wright
43rd United States Secretary of War
In office July 1, 1908 – March 4, 1909
President	Theodore Roosevelt
Preceded by	William Howard Taft
Succeeded by	Jacob M. Dickinson
2nd Civil Governor of the Philippines
In office February 1, 1904 – April 1, 1906
Preceded by	William Howard Taft
Succeeded by	Henry Clay Ide
Born	August 29, 1846(1846-08-29) Giles County, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	November 12, 1922 (aged 76) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Katherine Semmes Wright
Profession	Politician

Luke Edward Wright (August 29, 1846–November 12, 1922) was a U.S. political figure. He served as Governor-General of the Philippines between 1904 and 1906 and also as Secretary of War from 1908 to 1909.

Wright was born in Giles County, Tennessee and moved with his family to Memphis in 1850. He attended the public schools, and enlisted at fifteen in the Confederate Army with Company G of the 154th Senior Tennessee Regiment during the American Civil War. In 1863, Wright was cited for bravery under fire in the Battle of Murfreesboro and was promoted to second lieutenant. After the Civil War, Wright entered the University of Mississippi, but did not graduate and only attended from 1867 to 1868. He also married Katherine Semmes in 1868.

After studying law in his father’s office, Wright was admitted to the bar and entered into practice in Memphis. For eight years, he served as attorney general of Tennessee and was instrumental in establishing a relief committee during an epidemic of yellow fever in 1878. In 1900, Wright was a member of the second Philippine Commission and was appointed vice-governor of the Philippines in 1901. Wright became full Governor-General of the Philippines in 1904 and continued in that office until 1906. From 1906 to 1907, Wright served as United States ambassador to Japan.

From July 1, 1908 to March 1, 1909, Wright served as United States Secretary of War under President Theodore Roosevelt. He stressed actions to eliminate unfit officers and sought to take advantage of aviation technology. He served less than a year before resigning and returned to private life. He died in Memphis in 1922.

[edit] Legacy

The "Pool of Pines" or better known as Wright Park in Baguio City, Philippines was named after Governor Luke E. Wright, the architect of this shallow elongated rectangular man-made pool of water.

[edit] References

• Army biography

v • d • e United States Secretaries of War and Secretaries of the Army Cabinet-level Knox • Pickering • McHenry • Dexter • Dearborn • Eustis • Armstrong • Monroe • W. H. Crawford • Calhoun • Barbour • P. B. Porter • Eaton • Cass • Poinsett • Bell • Spencer • J. M. Porter • Wilkins • Marcy • G. W. Crawford • Conrad • J. Davis • Floyd • Holt • S. Cameron • Stanton • Schofield • Rawlins • Belknap • A. Taft • J. Cameron • McCrary • Ramsey • Lincoln • Endicott • Proctor • Elkins • Lamont • Alger • Root • W. H. Taft • Wright • Dickinson • Stimson • Garrison • Baker • Weeks • D. F. Davis • Good • Hurley • Dern • Woodring • Stimson • Patterson • Royall Dept. of Defense Royall • Gray • Pace • Stevens • Brucker • Stahr • Vance • Ailes • Resor • Froehlke • Callaway • Hoffmann • Alexander • Marsh • Stone • West • Walker • Caldera • Dahlberg • Westphal • White • Brownlee • Harvey • Geren

v • d • e American Governors-General of the Philippines MerrittM • OtisM • MacArthurM • Taft • Wright • Ide • Smith • Forbes • GilbertA • Harrison • YeaterA • Wood • GilmoreA • Stimson • GilmoreA • Davis • ButteA • Roosevelt • Murphy M - Military Governor, A - Acting Governor

[edit] See Also

• Wright Park, Baguio City Philippines [[1]]