LUKE E. WRIGHT
WRIGHT, LUKE E., lawyer, public administrator, president of the Philippine Commission, governor of the Philippine Islands and since January 25, 1906, United States Ambassador to Japan, was born in Tennessee, in 1847, son of the Chief Justice of Tennessee, Archibald W. Wright. He was educated in the public schools, and at the University of Mississippi, and at an early age joined the Confederate army and served as a private throughout the war. At its close he studied law, and began his professional career at Memphis, in his native state. He developed fine abilities at the bar, was attorney-general of Tennessee for eight years, and has been associated with many of the most distinguished lawyers of the South in the trial of important causes. During the yellow fever scourge of 1878, he gained prominence for the relief measures he advocated and put in execution. Many of the characteristics that have marked his work since then in prominent positions, were made evident in this relief work. He is a conservative Democrat and a stanch patriot. During the Spanish- American war his three sons were in active service. He was appointed a member of the United States Philippine Commission, in 1900, and his personal force and administrative skill soon led to his advancement as vice-governor general under Governor Taft. While the latter was absent in this country and in Rome, Mr. Wright was acting governor; and upon the resignation of Governor Taft to accept a place in President Roosevelt's cabinet, he was made president of the Commission and governor of the Islands. His able administration and high sense of public duty have fully justified the wisdom of his selection. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Hamilton college, in 1903. Governor Wright married a daughter of Raphael Semmes, the noted Confederate admiral.
On January 25th, 1906, Governor Wright was appointed to represent the United States at the Imperial Court of Japan, the rank of our representative to Japan being raised from Minister to Ambassador with this appointment of Governor Wright, whose
