Sophie Bell Wright (June 5, 1866 – June 10, 1912) was an American educator, and clubwoman from

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. In recent years, Wright's membership in the

Daughters of the Confederacy The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) is an American neo-Confederate hereditary association for female descendants of Confederate Civil War soldiers engaging in the commemoration of these ancestors, the funding of monuments to them, ...

has led to calls for a reconsideration of her legacy.

Early years

Wright was born in New Orleans, the daughter of William H. Wright, a Scottish immigrant, and Mary Bell Wright, from a Southern planter family. Her family was wealthy before the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, and her father was a

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

veteran. As a small child, Wright survived a fall with spinal and pelvic injuries that resulted in lifelong physical disabilities. Unable to walk to school as a little girl, she was educated at home by her father, and showed an aptitude for mathematics. Eventually she learned to use crutches and wore a back brace to attend school. She taught mathematics in exchange for her tuition at the Peabody Normal Seminary in New Orleans.

Career

In her teens, Wright began teaching, converting a room in her family's home into a classroom for day students. She started a boarding school, several free schools and a very popular night school for working adults, with a faculty of forty teachers and hundreds of students. Wright petitioned for a children's annex for the city's "Home for Incurables", and was president of the Home for Incurables. During the 1897 yellow fever epidemic, she spent all her money to turn her school into a storehouse, and distribute clothing, food, and medicine to the sick in her neighborhood. For this and other acts of sacrifice and charity, she was sometimes called "Saint Sophie." Wright was also active in the prison reform movement, projects to build public

playground A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...

s, and the

Woman's Christian Temperance Union The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization, originating among women in the United States Prohibition movement. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program th ...

. She was president of the New Orleans Woman's Club, and published a collection of advice essays, ''Heart to Heart Talks'' (1908). She was honored by the

National Congress of Mothers National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

, and a leader in the

International Order of the King's Daughters and Sons Headquartered in Chautauqua, New York, the International Order of the King's Daughters and Sons is an interdenominational Christian philanthropic organization. Also known as "The King's Daughters and Sons" or "IOKDS," the organization's mission sta ...

. In 1903, Wright as the first woman to be awarded the ''Daily Picayune'' Loving Cup, given to New Orleans residents who exhibited outstanding philanthropy. Along with the award, she was given $10,000 to pay off her school's mortgage.

Personal life

Wright died from heart disease at her home in New Orleans on June 10, 1912, aged 46 years, and was buried in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans has a school and a street named after her, as well as a statue of her on Magazine Street.

Controversy in 2020

Though honored for her social activism and philanthropy during her lifetime, Wright's membership in the

led in 2020 to calls for a reconsideration of her legacy, and the removal of her monument in the Garden District of New Orleans.

References

External links

*
Biography on Best of New Orleans site

Reproduction of 1909 Boston newspaper article on Library of Congress site

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Sophie B. 1866 births 1912 deaths Education in New Orleans People from New Orleans Woman's Christian Temperance Union people American women essayists 20th-century American essayists 20th-century American women writers Educators from Louisiana American women educators International Order of the King's Daughters and Sons