Luke Edward Wright (August 29, 1846 – November 17, 1922) was a

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

political figure A politician is a person who participates in policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles or duties tha ...

. He served as

Governor-General of the Philippines The governor-general of the Philippines (; ; ) was the title of the Executive (government), government executive during the colonial period of the Philippines, first by History of the Philippines (1521–1898), the Spanish in Mexico City and l ...

from 1904 to 1905 and also as

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

from 1908 to 1909.

Biography

Luke Edward Wright was born in

Giles County, Tennessee Giles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borde ...

, and moved with his family to Memphis in 1850. He attended the public schools, and enlisted at fifteen in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

with Company G of the 154th Senior Tennessee Infantry Regiment during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. In 1863, Wright was cited for bravery under fire in the Battle of Murfreesboro and promoted to second lieutenant. After the Civil War, Wright attended the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (Epithet, byname Ole Miss) is a Public university, public research university in University, near Oxford, Mississippi, United States, with a University of Mississippi Medical Center, medical center in Jackson, Miss ...

from 1867 to 1868, but he did not graduate. He was a member of the Delta Psi fraternity, also known as St. Anthony Hall. 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 Tennessee Attorney General, and he was instrumental in establishing a relief committee during an epidemic of yellow fever in 1878. Before the nomination of

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator, and politician. He was a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running three times as the party' ...

, Wright was a Democrat. In 1900, Wright was a member of the second

Philippine Commission The Philippine Commission was the name of two bodies, both appointed by the president of the United States, to assist with governing the Philippines. The First Philippine Commission, also known as the Schurman Commission, was appointed by Pre ...

and was appointed vice-governor of the Philippines in 1901. Wright became full

in 1904 and continued in that office until 1905. From 1906 to 1907, Wright served as the first full

United States Ambassador to Japan The is the Ambassadors of the United States, ambassador from the United States of America to Japan. History Beginning in 1854 with the Convention of Kanagawa, use of gunboat diplomacy by Commodore (United States), Commodore Matthew C. Perry, ...

. From July 1, 1908 to March 11, 1909, Wright served as

United States Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the President of the United States, U.S. president's United States Cabinet, Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's Presidency of George Washington, administration. A similar position, called either "Sec ...

under President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

. He stressed actions to eliminate unfit officers and sought to take advantage of aviation technology. He served less than a year before resigning. He returned to private life and died on November 17, 1922, at his home in Memphis. He was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis.

Legacy

The "Pool of Pines", better known a
Wright Park
in

Baguio Baguio ( , , ), officially the City of Baguio (; ; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...

, Philippines was named after Governor Luke E. Wright, the architect of this long, shallow

reflecting pool A reflecting pool, also called a reflection pool, is a water feature found in gardens, parks and memorial sites. It usually consists of a shallow pool of water with a reflective surface, undisturbed by fountain jets. Design Reflecting pools are o ...

. A street in

Dumaguete Dumaguete, officially the City of Dumaguete (; ; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it h ...

Negros Oriental Negros Oriental (; ), officially the Province of Negros Oriental (; ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Negros Island. Its capital is the city of Dumaguete, one of the two regional centers of Negros Island Region, with the other b ...

province is named after him.

References

External links

Wright Park, Baguio City Philippines
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Luke Edward 1846 births 1922 deaths People from Giles County, Tennessee Tennessee attorneys general United States secretaries of war Governors-general of the Philippine Islands Governors of Palawan American expatriates in the Philippines Ambassadors of the United States to Japan Confederate States Army officers People of Tennessee in the American Civil War Theodore Roosevelt administration cabinet members 20th-century American politicians American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law People from Memphis, Tennessee 20th-century American diplomats