Wright, James Long

Submitted by Mike Miller

Wright, James Long, secretary-treasurer of the Pan-American Life Insurance Co., quartermaster general of the State of Louisiana, and vice-president of the Antigua Gold-Copper Co., of New Orleans, was born in Sherman, Tex., Jan. 9, 1882; being the son and only child of Oliver Perry Wright, Jr., and Susan Battle Long, the former of whom was a native of Jackson, Miss. The father was in the fire and life insurance business in Sherman, Tex., where his death occurred in 1884. His father, Oliver Perry Wright, Sr., was a native of South Carolina, but spent his later years as a planter in Mississippi, near Jackson. Gen. Thomas Wright, the paternal great-grandfather of James L., was one of the most prominent men in public life of South Carolina, and was a descendant of John Wright, a private during the Revolutionary war, in the Carolina militia.

The mother of James L. was one of the daughters of Dr. James A. Long, a physician of LaGrange, Ga., who removed to Sherman, Tex., after the Civil war, in which he gallantly served as a Confederate medical officer, and who was a descendant of Col. Nicholas Long, a staff officer in the Revolutionary war. Both the Long and the Wright families are of English-Irish descent, their ancestors having located in North and South Carolina, respectively, in colonial times, being among the largest land owners of their day. Maj. James L. Wright, the object of this sketch, was reared in Fort Worth, Tex., and received his education in the public schools of that city, in which he also had his early business training as office boy and later stenographer in the Land Mortgage bank, of Texas.

On July 6, 1900, when only 18 years of age, he was married at Dallas, Tex., to Miss Helen Edward Herr, only child of Edward Herr, of Mayview, Mo., and shortly after his marriage, removed to Crowley, La., entering the service of the Peoples' Independent Rice Milling Co. as stenographer. During the succeeding 5 years he won promotion from time to time, until he had attained the position of assistant manager of this business, when, following a consolidation of the sales departments of fifteen other rice milling companies, he became the secretary and manager of the consolidated company, at the age of 25. At that time he also became associated with the Duson interests in Southwest Louisiana. In 1907, Maj. Wright removed to New Orleans and became interested in mining in Spanish Honduras, being yet vice-president of the Antigna Gold-Copper Co., which owns an extensive gold and copper property in that republic, of which he is also the manager.

When the movement was launched for holding the World's Panama Exposition in New Orleans, he was first made assistant secretary, and later secretary, of the chartered company, having charge of the offices. On March 28, 1911, he was made secretary-treasurer of the Pan-American Life Insurance Co., of New Orleans, which position he now fills, having entire charge of that company's extensive home offices, and being at the head of its investment department, through which is handled the investing of several millions of dollars. Maj. Wright's military record began as captain of Co. F, 1st infantry, Louisiana national guard, for which he was commissioned on July 9, 1904. He was promoted to be regimental commissary on March 27, 1906, and the following year was appointed United States disbursing officer for the organized militia of Louisiana, on the staff of Gov. Newton C. Blanchard. He was continued as disbursing officer on the staff of Gov. Jared Y. Sanders; and on Aug. 15, 1912, was commissioned quartermaster general of Louisiana, with the rank of major, by Gov. Luther E. Hall, the present executive of the State of Louisiana, which office he now fills.

Maj. Wright is a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason, a Knight Templar and a Shriner, also a member of the Pickwick club, the Country club, the Stratford club, the Audubon Golf club, and the Motor league of Louisiana, and is affiliated with several carnival organizations. The children of Maj. and Mrs. Wright are a daughter, Louise Marion, age 10, and a son, James Long, Jr., age 3. Like most men of affairs, Maj. Wright has a hobby--rare books--and is the fortunate possessor of one of the finest private libraries in the South, in which he has accumulated deluxe editions of writers of all ages and times.

Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 476-477. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.