Early Life

Non-Judicial Career

Desegregating Louisiana

D.C. Circuit

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District Court Judge & Desegregation of Louisiana

In 1949, Elmo Pearce Lee passed away while on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. District Court Judge Wayne G. Borah was then appointed to the 5th circuit opening a District Court position in the Eastern District of Louisiana. President Truman appointed J. Skelly Wright to fill the position on October 21, 1949.

In October of 1950, Wright, writing for a 3-judge panel, declared that denying Blacks admission to LSU Law School under the policy of separate but equal was inadequate. - See Roy S. Wilson v. Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University & Agriculture & Mechanical College, 92 F.Supp. 986. Roy Wilson was provisionally admitted but left LSU after a few months. In the Fall of 1951 three more Black students applied to LSU Law School and were admitted; two, Ernest N. Morial and Robert F. Collins, went on to graduate. 

In 1957, Wright ordered the integration of New Orleans City Park pools. - New Orleans City Park Improvement Association v. Detiege, 358 U.S. 54 (1958) affirming 252 F.2d 122 (5th Cir. 1958)

In 1958, Wright served on the 3-judge panel that ordered the desegregation of public sporting events in Louisiana. - Dorsey v. State Athletic Commission, 168 F.Supp. 149 (E.D. La. 1958)

The most well-known Louisiana integration case is Bush v. New Orleans. The Bush case, originating in 1952, and tasked with implementing "with all deliberate speed" using the developments of Brown I and Brown II, and in the face of a hostile legislature and state executive weathered enormous adversity. The case culminated in November of 1960 with the integration of schools in New Orleans. For an excellent accounting of this story please see: Bush v. New Orleans Parish School Board: The Second Battle of New Orleans, Chronicles of the Case and the Judge.

In 1958, Wright ordered the desegregation of the New Orleans streetcars and buses. - See Morrison v. Davis, 252 F.2d 102 (5th Cir. 1958) affirming Wright's judgment

1960, Wright ordered the desegregation of the public schools of East Baton Rouge and St. Helena Parishes. - See Davis v. East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, 214 F. Supp. 624 (E.D. La. 1963)

In 1960, Wright enjoins Washington Parish officials from purging voter rolls after he found local officials colluded with the White Citizens Council. - See United States v. McElveen, 180 F.Supp. 10 (E.D. La. 1960)

A November 1960 letter from Judge J. Waties Waring to Judge J. Skelly Wright sympathizing with Judge Wright's difficulties and offering encouragement to him.

In June of 1961, Judge Wright was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from Yale University in recognition of his work on desegregation cases in Louisiana. Less than a year later Wright was appointed to the D.C. Court of Appeals.