Biography

08/30/1820 - 09/10/1904

Richardson L. Wright, Sr. (D2) Philadelphia (old county) County 1857 (D1) Philadelphia County 1858-1859

Early Life:

Richardson L. Wright, Sr., born August 30, 1820, Province of Ulster, Ireland; son of Robert Erskine Wright and Mary Richardson Little; immigrated as a child with his family to New Brunswick, Canada, later to Philadelphia; Locust Street School, Mount Vernon School; tailor apprenticeship; salesman, William Jackson and Company,  cloth merchants, Philadelphia; Eleanor Elizabeth Roberts, 1846, children, Richardson, Jr., Mary, George Shoemaker, Eleanor A., Reverend Robert Erskine; studied law under Chief Justice Read, but never practiced thereafter; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1853-1956; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1857-1859; unsuccessful campaign, Auditor General of Pennsylvania; presidential appointment, United States Assessor, 5th District of Pennsylvania; member, Board of Port Wardens in Philadelphia; member, State Board of Education, 1872-1904; died,  September 10, 1904 (aged 84), Frankford, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; interment, All Saint’s Episcopal Church Cemetery, Torresdale, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, Philadelphia County, 1853-1856; elected Speaker, on January 1, 1856, by a vote of 63 to 30, against challenger Robert McCombs.

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 2nd district, Philadelphia (old county) County, 1857; Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1st district, Philadelphia County, 1858-1859.

Unsuccessful campaign, Auditor General of Pennsylvania. 

Presidential appointment, President Andrew Johnson, United States Assessor for the 5th District of Pennsylvania.

Member, Board of Port Wardens in Philadelphia; member, State Board of Education, 1872-1904.

Pennsylvania State House of Representatives Speaker Biography:

Richardson L. Wright - PA House of Representatives - PA House of Representatives (state.pa.us)

Legacy:

The Richardson L. Wright School was an American school that was in the Nicetown–Tioga neighborhood, northern Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Designed by Lloyd Titus, the last non-architect to serve as the chief draftsman (1901–1905), Department of Buildings, Philadelphia School Board. Destroyed sometime before 2008, replaced by ball courts. 

The Richardson L. Wright School should not be confused with the Richard R. Wright School, which is currently operating in north Philadelphia.

Cited:

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members W". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.

Richardson L Wright (1820-1904) - Find a Grave Memorial