Dexter Russell Wright (June 27, 1821 – July 23, 1886) was an American lawyer and politician. Wright was born in

Windsor, Vermont Windsor is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As the "Birthplace of Vermont", the town is where the Constitution of Vermont was adopted in 1777, thus marking the founding of the Vermont Republic, a sovereign state until 1791, when ...

, on June 27, 1821, the son of Alpheus and Anna E. (Loveland) Wright. During his boyhood, the family removed to the northern part of New York State, and in 1843 he entered the Junior Class of

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the Methodi ...

, at Middletown, Conn., from Heuvelton, St. Lawrence County. He graduated in 1845, and then taught for a year in Meriden, Connecticut, after which he attended for two years the courses in the

Yale Law School Yale Law School (YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United ...

. After earning a law degree in 1848, he opened an office in Meriden, and the next year began his political career by his election to the Connecticut State Senate. After serving one term, he sailed for California, where he spent two years practicing law and in

land speculation In finance, speculation is the purchase of an asset (a commodity, goods, or real estate) with the hope that it will become more valuable in a brief amount of time. It can also refer to short sales in which the speculator hopes for a decline ...

. He then returned to Meriden, and followed his profession until 1862, when he enlisted in the Union Army. He was a colonel of the 15th Regiment State Volunteers from July 1862 until February 1863 when his health failed and he was honorably discharged. In 1863 he was a member of the Lower House in the Connecticut Legislature, and from 1863 to 1865 he served as a commissioner on the Board of Enrollment for the 2nd Congressional District. In 1864 he resumed the practice of law, establishing his office in

New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...

. He was Assistant U. S.

District Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

from 1865 to 1869, and subsequently held a variety of positions in connection with city government. He was sent as a Representative to the

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...

in 1879, and was chosen

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...

. In the spring of 1886 he fell on the steps of his residence, causing a shock to his entire system, from which he only partially recovered. On June 19 he was stricken with paralysis, which resulted in his death in New Haven on July 23, 1886, at the age of 65. He married Maria on February 3, 1848, who survived him, with two daughters and two sons; the younger son graduated Yale in 1882.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:wright, dexter russell 1821 births 1886 deaths Politicians from Meriden, Connecticut Lawyers from New Haven, Connecticut People of Connecticut in the American Civil War Politicians from Windsor County, Vermont Wesleyan University alumni Yale Law School alumni Connecticut state senators Members of the Connecticut House of Representatives Speakers of the Connecticut House of Representatives Connecticut lawyers California lawyers Connecticut local politicians Union army colonels Politicians from New Haven, Connecticut 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly