Evening star., 1952-12-08
James |. Wright, 81,
Veteran NeWsman,
dies at Home Here

James Lloyd Wright. 81, dis
tinguished Washington corre-
spondent of the Buffalo Evening
News. died yesterday after a long
illness at his home, 3115 Forty
fourth street NV.
A dean among correspondents,
Mr.. Wright was recognized as one
of the country's leading political
authorities and writer's. In the
Al years since he went to work
for the old Washington Times, he
covered many of the most i'm
portant developments in a news
packed period.
He was the friend and conf
dante Of Presidents, other high
Government officials and news
papermen. He was known for
keen sense of humor but always
was a tough competitor. His
questions in press conferences
were sometimes hard but he en-
joyed a reputation for fair treat
ment.
If the news was dull he dug for
stories. On occasion he consulted
the diaries of close personal
friends, like former Senator
Henry F. Ashurst of Arizona, for
ideas. Sometimes he went to
soundproof room of the National
Bureau of Standards to listen to
a molecule turning over in q bar
of iron-or to a fly walking on a
piece of glass;"
Had Famous Coolidge Memo.
One of his treasured souvenirs
was slip of paper bearing the
famous Il do not choose to run"
statement of President Calvin
Coolidge. Mr.. Wright was in the
Black Hills of South Dakota with
Mr.. Coolidge in 1927 when he
issued the terse and historic state
ment.
Mr.. Wright was of that gen.
Grafton of small town newsmen
who began their careers in the
print shop. He was born October
IL, 1885, in New Hampton, Iowa,
and finished high school there.
1t was as printer that he broke
into the business in 1902. Then
he worked for papers in Waterloo,
Iowa City and Des Moines.
| BY 1911 he was in Washington,
setting out on his long career.
Mr.. Wright was with the Wash
ington Times for less than a year
before switching to the Detroit
News for four years as CORE
Spondent. He then was with the
Cleveland Plain Dealers Washing
ton bureau for IL years until join
ing the Buffalo Evening News in
1927.
The tall and courtly correspond
ent's friends were legion, includ-
ing Government leaders and other
neWsmen who respected his work
and admired him personally.
Suffered Broken Hip.
Mr.. Wright's health failed no
ticeably after he suffered a frac-
tured right hip when steps to
speakers platform collapsed under
him in March. 1850.
| President Truman emphasized
his friendship for the writer with
frequent letters inquiring of Mr..
Wright'S health.
Earlier, Mr.. Wright became
fast friends of former Presidents
Coolidge and Hoover while accom-
panying them on political tours.
He often visited both in their
homes away from Washington. He
also enjoyed a firm friendship with
President Roosevelt.
In Difference to his health, Mr..
Wright was permitted to sit dur
ing White House press confer
ences in the days before all news
men were seated.
Active in Press Club.
His interest in his profession
extended to a position on the Ma
tional Press Clubs board of gov
ernors, presidency of the National
Press Building Corp, and chair
manship of the standing commit
tee controlling press galleries at
the Capitol.
Mr.. Wright was a Mason, a
member of Temple-Noyes Lodge
80. His clubs included the Grid
iron, of which he was a former
president, the Columbia Club,
Alfalfa. Variety and the Overseas
| Writers.
| His eligibility to the latter Or
ganization stemmed from several
ASSIGNMENTS He acc0nonanied