Wright, George G.

Born: 1820-03-24 Indiana

Died: 1896-01-11 Des Moines, Iowa

Flourished: Iowa

George G. Wright was an attorney, state senator, judge, law professor, and U.S. senator. Born in Bloomington, Indiana, Wright attended private schools before matriculating at Indiana University, graduating from that institution in 1839. He commenced reading law in Rockville, Indiana, and received admittance to the Indiana bar in 1840. Relocating to the Iowa Territory, Wright opened a law practice at Keosauqua. Moving into politics and public service, he served as prosecuting attorney for Van Buren County from 1847 to 1848. In 1849, he became a member of the Iowa Senate, serving in that body until 1851. In 1854, Wright received appointment as a justice on the Iowa Supreme Court, serving on that court through and beyond the Civil War. From 1860 to 1865, he was president of the Iowa Agricultural Society. In 1865, Wright moved to Des Moines, Iowa, and became one of the founders of the University of Iowa College of Law. After the Civil War, he was a law professor and U.S. senator.

Biographical Directory of the American Congress 1774-1996 (Alexandria, VA: CQ Staff Directories, 1997), 2093; Gravestone, Woodlawn Cemetery, Des Moines, IA.