Congress

Hundreds Gather for Funeral of Former Speaker Jim Wright

Former Speaker Died Last Week at 91

Hundreds gathered at First United Methodist Church in Fort Worth on Monday for the funeral services for their one-time congressman, Jim Wright.

Wright, former U.S. Speaker of the House, died last week at the age of 92. He was laid to rest in Weatherford, where he was once mayor and was a proud member of the Masonic Lodge.

The pews of the church were full of family, friends and local and national leaders. Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, several city council members and U.S. Reps. Marc Veasey (D-Fort Worth) and Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland) were among those in attendance.

Eulogizing the former speaker were two friends and congressional colleagues as well as his one-time special assistant.

"No city in America was represented better in Congress than Fort Worth," said former Rep. Martin Frost.

Frost talked about how Wright helped show him how to be a leader and congressman and how he helped so many others become leaders.

Bill Alexander, a former Arkansas representative, talked about his friendship with Wright, even joking about Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport when he visited once.

"I said, 'Jim, how much money did the public works committee spend on this airport?" Alexander said. "And he looked at me, rolled his brow, and lifted his bush eyebrows and said to me, 'Not a penny more than the law allowed.'"

Alexander also staunchly defended Wright, discussing the end of his political career when Wright resigned amid an ethics inquiry. His special assistant, Paul Driskell, also brought up those days, saying that despite what others were saying about Wright he never wanted to hit them back.

"Not once in private, and never in public, did Jim Wright throw that punch," Driskell said.

Driskell also talked about how Wright was an eloquent speaker, a superb horticulturalist and a great multi-tasker. Just minutes after a press conference announcing his election as the next speaker, Wright broke away to attend Driskell's wedding.

"Fifteen minutes later grabbed me by the arm and escorted me up the back stairs to the House Chaplain's office," Driskell said, "where Chaplain Ford married us at Henry Clay's desk."

Despite the great stories, those who spoke said they had a hard time summing Wright up or choosing the right words to eulogize him.

"It seems a shame that I can't find words in my language to encompass all that he was and is and will always be," Driskell said. "Only in Spanish. Via con dios. Go and be with God, light of our land. Via con dios, friend of my life."

Even Wright's grandchildren took to the stage to share some words with those who gathered.

"None of us were born when he was in Congress, but we all knew his great love for this country, especially Fort Worth," said Campbell Brown. "We are told by many people that he often said, 'I want to make the world a better place for my children, their children and their children's children.' Well, that's us. Next to me are the children of the grandchildren. We are the next generation. We would like to ask you to honor our great-pop for the rest of the day by thinking about how you can make the world a better place."

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