James D. Wright was born on July 19, 1936. He was an air traffic controller and member of PATCO. He began his civil service career in the military. While serving in the Air Force, Wright was given the opportunity to become an air traffic controller. Wright entered the FAA Air Traffic Academy at the age of twenty-five in 1962. After his graduation, Wright was assigned to the Houston ATC facility. By 1979 Wright was transferred to the Oakland Air Traffic control center. On August 3, 1981, Wright participated in the PATCO strike, an action that would cost him his job. Before his death in 1994, Wright received retraining as an air machinist and worked with United Airlines beginning in 1985.
Wright was very active in PATCO. He joined PATCO in the late 60's and by 1970 was elected the Houston Facility Representative. In 1971 Wright was fired by the FAA for participating in a sick out. One of only six dismissed, Wright successfully fought the FAA action, returning to his job in 1972 with full pay. He was able to return to his job due to actions of his local congressmen and PATCO. Wright later became a recruiter for PATCO. His loyalty to the union left him no other alternative but to strike in 1981. Wright lost his job, and although he appealed to get his job back, he, like thousands of others, was permanently dismissed by the government for his actions.
Wright continued to support PATCO and was very active in trying to get former PATCO members their jobs back until his death in 1994 in Union City, CA. Wright participated in letter writing and in PATCO reunions.
Sources:
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PATCO Lives in the Jet Shop at United Airlines.
Trade Winds, February 1992, 9. This article is included in the collection in Box 2, Folder 3.
From the guide to the James D. Wright Papers AR400., 1962-1993, 1970-1985, (Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library)
