James Claude Wright Jr. (December 22, 1922 – May 6, 2015) was an American politician who served as the 48th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 1989. He represented Texas\'s 12th congressional district as a Democrat from 1955 to 1989.\n', '

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Wright won election to the Texas House of Representatives after serving in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He won election to Congress in 1954, representing a district that included his home town of Fort Worth. Wright distinguished himself from many of his fellow Southern Congressmen in his refusal to sign the Southern Manifesto and he voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1957, though he later voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He also became a senior member of the House Public Works Committee.\n', '

In 1976, Wright narrowly won election to the position of House Majority Leader. He became Speaker of the House after Tip O\'Neill retired in 1987. Wright resigned from Congress in June 1989 amid a House Ethics Committee investigation into compensation that he and his wife had received. After leaving Congress, Wright became a professor at Texas Christian University. He died in Fort Worth in 2015.\n', '

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