Wright, David R., 1935-2016
Biography
David R. Wright was born on December 24, 1935 in Springfield, Missouri. He graduated from Buffalo High School. He earned his Associate of Arts degree from Southwest Baptist University 1955, Bachelor of Journalism and Master of Arts from the University of Missouri 1962, he then received his Ph.D. from Ohio University and was a professor of Communications at Clarion University from 1971 to 2000. Representative Wright served as an X-Ray technician for the United States Army from 1955 to 1985. Representative Wright was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1976 and served until 1996. He represented Armstrong, Clarion, Jefferson, and Venango Counties. During his time in the House he was the chair of the Majority Policy Committee from 1983 to 1988, he was the chair of the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee from 1981 to 1996, served on the board of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency from 1981 to 1996, and he served on the board of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania from 1995 to 1996. Some of his major legislative work included, the creation of the Center for Rural Pennsylvanians, legislation that restructured telecommunications, and legislation that created the State System of Higher Education, which unified fourteen state colleges into a university system. He passed away on November 18, 2016 in Clarion, Clarion County, Pennsylvania.