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90-640: A technical and economic blueprint for the plan was developed in 1964 by the Parsons Corporation of Pasadena, California. The total cost was estimated in 1975 as $ 100 billion, comparable in cost to the Interstate Highway System . The Parsons plan would divert water from the Yukon , Liard and Peace River systems into the southern half of the Rocky Mountain Trench which would be dammed into

180-604: A Democrat from 1955 to 1989. Born in Fort Worth, Texas , Wright won election to the Texas House of Representatives after serving in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II . He won election to Congress in 1954, representing a district that included his home town of Fort Worth. Like most Texas Democrats, Wright distinguished himself from many of his fellow Southern congressmen in his refusal to sign

270-757: A House Ethics Committee investigation into compensation that he and his wife had received. After leaving Congress, Wright became a professor at Texas Christian University . He died in Fort Worth in 2015. Wright was born in Fort Worth , the son of Marie (Lyster) and James Claude Wright. Wright was of English and Irish ancestry. Because his father was a traveling salesman, Wright and his two sisters were reared in numerous communities in Texas and Oklahoma . He mostly attended Fort Worth and Dallas public schools, eventually graduating from Adamson High School (formerly Oak Cliff High School) . He studied at Weatherford College and

360-763: A federal holiday in August 1983 as well as lead the House Democratic Caucus as Speaker in March 1988 to override President Reagan 's veto of the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 . In the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex , Jim Wright is infamous for the Wright Amendment , a contentious law he sponsored that restricted air travel from Dallas' secondary airport, Love Field . Passed in 1979,

450-555: A public company after its initial public offering (IPO) in 2019. It was included in the Fortune 1000 in 2020 and added to the S&;P 400 in 2024. The company is led by Carey Smith, who serves as Chairwoman, President, and CEO. Parsons was founded by Ralph M. Parsons in 1944. Emerging at the end of World War II , Parsons' location in Los Angeles , proximity to organizations such as

540-586: A $ 29.5 million contract was given to both Parsons and Gilbert Southern/Massman Construction to redo a portion of the Escambia Bay Bridge near Pensacola, FL after Hurricane Ivan made landfall and knocked off 58 spans of the original bridge and misaligned 66 other spans. Traffic destined for the bridge was rerouted onto US 90 (exit 17 on I-10 ) for 2 months while construction was taking place, which caused severe traffic jams. The westbound bridge opened to traffic on October 4, six days ahead of schedule, while

630-762: A 4-year design-build turnkey program to build the Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia (also known as the King Abdulaziz International Airport ). In 1978, Parsons developed facilities criteria for assembly, testing, and system support of the U.S. Air Force's MX missile system at Vandenberg Space Force Base . In addition, as a subcontractor to Martin Marietta , Parsons supported development of the Space Shuttle ground system at Vandenberg. Parsons support to

720-523: A House committee or a high-profile subcommittee, he used his outgoing personality to obtain commitments from friends and his two decades of seniority on the Public Works Committee to amass obligations from colleagues by helping secure funding for federal buildings, roads, highway interchanges, and water projects. These efforts left him well-positioned to campaign for a position in the House leadership when

810-409: A Public Man , to earn speaking fees in excess of the allowed maximum, and that his wife, Betty, was given a make work job and perks to avoid the limit on gifts. Faced with an increasing loss of effectiveness, Wright tendered his resignation as Speaker on May 31, 1989, the resignation to become effective on the selection of a successor. He was the first Speaker to resign because of a scandal. On June 6,

900-572: A destination within that 50-mile (80 km) radius ( Dallas Love Field and the now-defunct Greater Southwest International Airport in Fort Worth were the only airports affected) to land in a contiguous (bordering) state before continuing on to its destination. This effectively limited traffic from Love Field and GSIA to small, regional airlines (and provided the springboard for the later success of Southwest Airlines , which initially flew only within Texas) who were largely unable to compete with DFW Airport as

990-652: A massive, 500 mi (805 km)-long reservoir. Some of the water would be sent east across central Canada to form a navigable waterway connecting Alberta to the Great Lakes with the additional benefit of stabilizing the Great Lakes' water level. The rest of the water would enter the United States in northern Montana, providing additional flow to the Columbia and Missouri – Mississippi river systems, and would be pumped over

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1080-550: A private, employed-owned company. On September 1, 2023, Parsons announced the move of its headquarters to Chantilly, VA. Discussing the company's business outlook in February 2024, CEO Carey Smith stated that the company believes it will continue to see strong demand for its solutions, including cyber, electronic warfare, signals collection, space, missile defense and critical Infrastructure protection given world-wide geopolitical outlook. 1940s Less than 2 months after Parsons

1170-465: A result. While the Amendment was welcomed at first, there were increasing doubts about its necessity as DFW grew into one of the three largest airports in the world. Many saw it as a boondoggle to benefit one particular group. Others saw it as an unlawful restraint of trade imposed against the two affected airports, and no others, in spite of the fact that public officials of Dallas and Ft Worth had agreed to

1260-470: A trial in which defense counsel indicated that they intended to call Bush as a witness. A report by special counsel implicated him in a number of influence peddling charges, such as Vernon Savings and Loan, and attempting to get William K. Black fired as the deputy director of the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC) under Gray. However, the charges against him concluded that, "while

1350-505: A vacancy occurred. In the December 1976 House Democratic leadership elections, Majority Leader Tip O'Neill faced no opposition to succeed Carl Albert as Speaker of the House . The contest to succeed O'Neill included Wright, Phillip Burton , Richard Bolling , and John McFall . Burton was assumed to be the frontrunner, and on the first ballot, he received 106 votes, Bolling 81, Wright 77, and McFall 31. According to Democratic caucus rules,

1440-676: Is an American multinational technology-focused defense, intelligence, and infrastructure engineering firm. Founded in 1944, Parsons is headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia , and serves both government and private sector organizations in more than 30 countries. Parsons operates in two primary segments: Federal Solutions and Critical Infrastructure. The company provides services in various sectors including cybersecurity , intelligence , defense , transportation , environmental remediation , and urban development . As of 2023, Parsons employs approximately 18,500 professionals worldwide. Parsons became

1530-479: Is still used today. In 1968, Parsons began work to upgrade the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by providing plans, specifications, and standards to upgrade air traffic controls in 19 facilities. Today, Parsons provides 24/7/365 technical support services in all nine FAA regions and two specialized FAA centers. Again in 2001, Parsons was the prime contractor to implement modernization plans for

1620-466: The 101st Congress opened on January 3, 1989, Wright was re-elected as speaker. According to historian Julian E. Zelizer , the majority Democrats ran roughshod over the Republican (GOP) minority. They minimized the number of staff positions available to the minority, kept them out of decision-making, and gerrymandered their home districts. Firebrand Republican Newt Gingrich argued that American democracy

1710-535: The California Science Center near downtown. The effort was completed at no cost to NASA or the science center and was delivered by a team of local consultants that contributed expertise and resources for the effort. The activity brought to a close Parsons support for the Space Shuttle program; efforts that began in 1970 when NASA hired Parsons to perform an independent evaluation of facilities options for

1800-631: The DC Washington Metro in Washington, D.C., which is a $ 11 billion, 103-mile rapid transit rail system connecting Washington, D.C., to its many suburbs. In 1968, Parsons designed and constructed the entire Honolulu Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii (which is now referred to as the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport ), including a 12,000-foot runway on an offshore reef to minimize noise in Honolulu. The runway

1890-639: The Don Welge Memorial Bridge . In April 1996, Parsons CEO at the time, Leonard Pieroni, was killed in a U.S. Air Force plane crash in the Balkans along with U.S. Commerce Secretary Ron Brown. In October 2004, Parsons sold its hydrocarbons focused business, Parsons E&C Inc, to Australian firm Worley . In 2012, Parsons developed the logistics strategy for movement of the Space Shuttle Endeavour from Los Angeles International Airport to

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1980-546: The Mackinac Bridge (Steinman, 1957), Tagus River Bridge , and Brooklyn Bridge . Parsons continues to provide inspection, maintenance, and upgrades for these bridges to this day. The company has also secured numerous design, design-build, and/or construction management jobs delivering new bridges such as the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (2007) , John James Audubon Bridge , Windsor-Detroit (Gordie Howe) Bridge , and

2070-755: The Naval Air and Missile Test Center , Air Force Western Development Division (WDD) and Space and Missile Systems Organization (SAMSO) , and partnership with Aerojet Engineering, enabled it acquire early developmental projects including electronics, instrumentation, ground checkout systems design, and engineering for aircraft, missiles and rocket facilities. In the early 1950s, Parsons efforts in oil and petrochemical process plants came into focus with design/build efforts supporting both Shell and Gulf Oil in Texas. Parsons delivered systems that would also recover sulfur products for later use in industrial processes. Facilities came on line in 1952. In 1961, Parsons founded

2160-678: The Port of Los Angeles selected Parsons to design the Pier 300 $ 60 million dry bulk terminal for international commodities such as coal and petroleum coke. Also in 1992, Parsons provided engineering cleanup services to the Department of Energy for its uranium enrichment facilities in Ohio. The project was worth $ 125 million. In 1993, The Southern Nevada Water Authority selected Parsons as PM/CM for their $ 2 billion capital improvement program to increase water capacity for

2250-464: The Savings and Loan (S&L) crisis "were decisive in forcing him to resign in disgrace from the House". Black wrote that Wright had been saved from financial ruin and elevated to Speaker of the House by massive campaign contributions from control frauds like Charles Keating . The control frauds managed to get hundreds of executives of S&Ls, many legitimate, to talk with their representatives in

2340-700: The Tacoma Narrows Bridge , a design-build project, originally scheduled to be constructed in 55 months. The bridge was completed and opened in 2007. In June 2003, a joint-venture team led by Bechtel National, Inc. and Parsons Corporation was selected to destroy chemical weapons at the Bluegrass Army Depot in Kentucky. The final munition was destroyed in July 2023. In 2004, Parsons served as project manager to cleanup and restore Onondaga Lake in New York. Also in 2004,

2430-633: The Titan III Integrate, Transfer, and Launch (ITL) launch complex at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station . Upon completion, the complex became known as Launch Complex 40 and Launch Complex 41 . Features of the ITL design included the Vertical Integration Building (VIB) and Solid Rocket Motor Assembly Building (SMAB). The complex supported its first launch in June 1965. In February 1963, Parsons

2520-673: The University of California, Berkeley said of NAWAPA, "The environmental damage that would be caused by that damned thing can't even be described. It would cause as much harm as all of the dam-building we have done in a hundred years." NAWAPA garnered early support from some Western political figures, who viewed its promise of increased water supplies as key to continued growth in the Western United States. In 1966, Congressman Jim Wright , in his book, The Coming Water Famine , wrote that "NAWAPA has an almost limitless potential if we possess

2610-510: The University of Texas at Austin , but did not graduate. In December 1941, Wright enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces , and after training, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Corps in 1942. He trained as a bombardier and earned a Distinguished Flying Cross flying during combat in B-24 Liberators with the 530th Bomb Squadron , 380th Bomb Group (Heavy) in

2700-532: The Wright Amendment was originally designed to protect the then-fledgling Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport . The Amendment allows non-stop flights originating from or bound to any commercial airport within 50 nautical miles (93 km) of the DFW Airport Control Tower to serve only states bordering Texas. It was the compromise agreed to with Southwest Airlines to expand their territory beyond Texas. This requires any flight going to or coming from

2790-596: The "sleaze factor" issue in the 1988 presidential election, thereby handing the election to the Republican George H. W. Bush , according to Black. He resigned to avoid the official documentation of his role in this that would almost certainly have come from hearings by the United States House Committee on Ethics , as it did for the Keating Five . Wright's personal and public account of why he resigned

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2880-406: The 1950s and 1960s, but no official proposal was ever developed. Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson was quoted in 1966 saying of the plan that “This can be one of the most important developments in our history." In the 1970s, the plan began to encounter fierce opposition by a number of different groups on both sides of the border, based on concerns with its financial and environmental costs and

2970-666: The 1956 Southern Manifesto . He voted for the Civil Rights Acts of 1960 and 1968 , the final version of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 , and the initial House amendment to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 , but voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution . He also became a senior member of the House Public Works Committee. In 1976, Wright narrowly won election to

3060-729: The 25 de Abril Bridge ) in Lisbon, Portugal. The company continues to support bridge improvements and maintenance. In 1998, Parsons was hired by the U.S. Navy to manage UXO removal in Hawaii. The unexploded ordinances had accumulated in the island of Kaho`olawe . In 1999, Parsons completed the design for the New Baiyun Airport (now called the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport ) in Guangzhou, China. Also in 1999, Parsons

3150-478: The Congress, saying "and here in Fort Worth he has contributed to its growth. He speaks for Fort Worth and he speaks for the country, and I don't know any city that is better represented in the Congress of the United States than Fort Worth." While Dukakis lost the 1988 presidential election to Republican George H. W. Bush , Democrats retained control of the House in the coinciding congressional elections , thus when

3240-543: The Congressman's dealings with representatives of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board may have been intemperate, the committee was not persuaded that there is reason to believe that he exercised undue influence in his dealings with that agency." After his resignation from the House, Wright retired to Fort Worth. He served as a professor at Texas Christian University there, teaching a course titled "Congress and

3330-485: The Democratic Caucus brought Wright's speakership to an end by selecting his replacement, Tom Foley of Washington , and on June 30 Wright resigned his seat in Congress. The incident was controversial and was a part of the increasing partisan infighting that has plagued the Congress ever since. The original charges were filed by Newt Gingrich in 1988 and their effect propelled Gingrich's own career advancement to

3420-529: The Great Lakes. Parsons originally proposed using peaceful nuclear explosions to excavate trenches and underground water storage reservoirs for the system. The project would generate a vast amount of electricity from a number of hydroelectric and nuclear power facilities (the latter of which would be required to power the multiple pumping stations needed to move the water across the continent). The issue of electricity generation created some controversy, with some commentators such as Marc Reisner arguing that

3510-432: The House. He said it may have been a "gross misjudgment" at the time. Wright died at the age of 92 on May 6, 2015. He was survived by his wife Betty and four children. He had previously undergone surgery twice to treat cancer, though it is not clear if his death was cancer-related. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi , D-CA, stated, "Speaker Wright was a person of deep courage, brilliant eloquence, and complete mastery of

3600-565: The Las Vegas Valley. The company continues to provide program and construction management services to SNWA most recently being awarded $ 150M contract in July 2023. In 1995, Parsons designed, engineered and managed infrastructure elements of the National Ignition Facility's (NIF) construction. This facility houses the world's most powerful laser. Additionally in 1995, Parsons paid the U.S. $ 3.2 million to settle fraud claims,

3690-613: The North American continent, including Canada and the United States, as well as irrigation water for Mexico , which Parsons claimed would receive enough water to reclaim 7 or 8 times more land than Egypt reclaimed with the Aswan High Dam . It would provide increased water flow in the upper Missouri and Mississippi rivers during periods of low flow, increased hydropower generation along the Columbia River, and stabilize water levels in

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3780-662: The Petromin-Shell petrochemical design-build project, the company's largest petrochemical project ever, valued at $ 1.5 billion. In 1985, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority hired a Parsons joint venture to provide commuter rail services and construction management of what would become the MTA's Red Line. Also in 1985, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers selected Parsons to furnish design, systems integration, engineering, and procurement for

3870-597: The Presidents." He also wrote several books after his retirement. He was an avid reader but was stricken with macular degeneration . In November 2013, Wright was denied a voter ID card at a Texas Department of Public Safety office, as he hadn't brought the duly-required documentation with him on the day of his visit. He told the Fort Worth Star Telegram that "Nobody was ugly to us, but they insisted that they wouldn't give me an ID." Wright expressed concern that

3960-810: The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. The foundation became entirely independent from the company in 1974. Also in 1974, Parsons opened the first part of its headquarters in Pasadena. In 1985, Parsons finalized an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP), allocating shares in proportion to employees’ salaries. The ESOP program continues today. Parsons interest in bridge projects grew through the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s leveraging credentials enabled by acquisition of firms including DeLeuw, Cather, and Company in 1977 and Steinman, Boynton, Gronquist and Birdsall (SBGB) in 1988. These acquisitions brought experience and pedigree for design and/or refurbishment of iconic bridge structures including

4050-1056: The Rocky Mountains via the Sawtooth Lifts in Idaho. From there, it would run south via aqueducts to the Colorado River and Rio Grande systems. Some of this water would be sent around the southern end of the Rockies in New Mexico and pumped north to the High Plains , stabilizing the Ogallala Aquifer . The increased flow of the Colorado River, meanwhile, would enter Mexico, allowing for greater development of agriculture in Baja California and Sonora . The project would provide 75 million acre-feet (93 km) of water to water-deficient areas in

4140-439: The Salmon, Lochsa, Clearwater, Yellowstone and Big Hole. The amount of electricity required to pump the water over the Rockies would require the construction of as many as six nuclear power plants. Significant negative consequences were also predicted for Pacific salmon runs in the many Alaskan and Canadian rivers that would be dammed and diverted, reducing their flows. Luna Leopold , a conservationist and professor of hydrology at

4230-449: The Senate amendment to the bill on August 27, 1957. Wright voted in favor of the House amendment to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on July 9, 1965, but did not vote on the joint conference committee report on August 3, 1965. Wright voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 . The bill required desegregation of public accommodations and established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission , and Wright's reason for not supporting

4320-455: The South Pacific during World War II . His retelling of his wartime exploits is contained in his 2005 book The Flying Circus: Pacific War—1943—As Seen through A Bombsight . After the war, he made his home in Weatherford, where he joined partners in forming a Trade Show exhibition and marketing firm. As a Democrat , he won his first election without opposition in 1946 to the Texas House of Representatives , where he served from 1947 to 1949. He

4410-422: The Space Transportation System. In late February 2019, Parsons announced the move of its headquarters from Pasadena, California to Centreville, Virginia . On May 8, 2019, Parsons executed an Initial Public Offering of approximately $ 500 million on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PSN. When the transaction was conducted, Parsons returned to public status after leaving 35 years before to become

4500-451: The Speaker's chair. Michael Parenti , critic of the national security state , attributed Wright's forced resignation to the critical questions he was raising in the late 1980s with regard to CIA covert actions in Nicaragua . Wright had not only criticized Reagan's policy, but taken the extremely unusual step of entering into negotiations with the Nicaraguan government as Speaker. William K. Black claims that Wright's interventions in

4590-444: The Texas voter ID law will unfairly deny elderly voters like himself the ability to vote. Wright indicated that he had worked out a solution with the Texas DPS that would allow him to cast a ballot in an upcoming election, but feared that other elderly people, especially those in retirement homes, would be unable to navigate the requirements. Toward the end of his life, in May 2014, Wright expressed regret over resigning as Speaker of

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4680-525: The U.S. Navy to support the launch of MIDAS and SAMOS programs using Atlas missiles . The facility was renamed Launch Complex 3 when the Air Force assumed control of the base from the Navy. In 1958, Parsons began fabrication of electronics and instrumentation including miss-distance indicators for the Pershing Medium Range Ballistic Missile . In June 1959, Parsons was awarded a contract for Titan ICBM facility design to be constructed near Moses Lake Washington. 1960s In 1961, Parsons designed

4770-465: The US congress to delay effective governmental action against the frauds. This action only increased (a) the billions of dollars their ultimate failures cost the US taxpayers and (b) the magnitude of the resulting scandal. Wright's account of these facts was very different, citing both abuse of power by regulators, and money laundering by S&Ls in the profits diverted to Nicaragua in the Iran-Contra scandal. The scandal robbed Wright's Democratic party of

4860-423: The bill had to do with the voting rights provision of the law, which Wright enthusiastically supported, and felt the Civil Rights Act was weak without the right to vote granted to all citizens. It was signed into law by Wright's friend, President Johnson. Wright also voted against the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution . Wright would later vote in favor of the bill establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as

4950-438: The courage and the foresight to grasp it." In 1967, Senator Frank Moss of Utah wrote The Water Crisis , in which he called NAWAPA the most comprehensive water diversion proposal to solve supply and pollution problems. (Moss was later hired by the Parsons Corporation and retained as a lobbyist .) Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich called for Los Angeles to back the plan. The Corps of Engineers studied this project in

5040-497: The early 1960s to support Saturn V engine testing. Parsons rebuilt the facility again after a 1991 test failure of a Titan IV SRMU motor that caused significant facility damage. In 1988, Parsons was hired to expand the Dulles (IAD) and Ronald Reagan (DCA) airports. Parsons also continued to oversee rehabilitation of the Brooklyn Bridge that had been started by bridge firm Steinman, Boynton, Gronquist, and Birdsall which had been acquired by Parsons that year. 1990s In 1992,

5130-465: The eastbound lanes opened to traffic on November 20, 66 days after Ivan made landfall and 27 days ahead of schedule. Both contractors received $ 1.5 million in bonuses for the early completion. Jim Wright James Claude Wright Jr. (December 22, 1922 – May 6, 2015) was an American politician who served as the 48th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 1989. He represented Texas' 12th congressional district as

5220-429: The eight chemical weapons incineration plants throughout the continental United States. In 1986, Parsons designed, engineered, and managed construction of the Red Dog mine air and sea ports along with the entire complex. In 1987, Parsons engineered, designed and delivered the Titan solid booster rocket test stand at Edwards Air Force Base in California . The test stand facility was originally designed by Parsons in

5310-399: The fervid opposition of Fort Worth Star-Telegram publisher Amon G. Carter , who supported incumbent Democrat Wingate Lucas . Wright would be re-elected fourteen times, gradually rising in prominence in the party and in Congress. He developed a close relationship with Amon G. Carter Jr., and often repeated the axiom that the easiest way to "defeat an enemy is to make him your friend." On

5400-410: The ground infrastructure development effort continued into the mid-1980s. 1980s In 1980, Los Angeles selected a Parsons joint venture to provide the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant with program management, advanced planning, conceptual/detailed design, construction management, and startup services on all of their solids- and gas-handling expansion projects. In 1981, Parsons won a contract for

5490-434: The idea. One author called it "the most outlandish water development scheme to emerge in the past 50 years". Beginning in 1982, some efforts were made to revive the plan, including by Parsons engineer Roland Kelley, who authored a report called NAWAPA Plan Can Work . The LaRouche movement has supported the project, making efforts to revive NAWAPA in 1982 and again in 2010. Parsons Corporation Parsons Corporation

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5580-463: The installation plans for each of the 1,000 Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles , which were used by the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War . In 1964, Ralph M. Parsons managed the design of the U.S. Treasury Philadelphia Mint expansion. Parsons created all construction and equipment specifications, oversaw construction, and prepared operations and maintenance manuals. In 1962, Parsons commenced design efforts as civil architect-engineer for

5670-410: The international implications of exporting Canadian water. The environmental movement , which viewed the plan as the "hydrologic anti-Christ," gained momentum in the early 1970s, and is credited with playing a major role in halting the project. After initially expressing support for NAWAPA as Interior Secretary in the 1960s, Stewart Udall publicly ridiculed the plan after leaving office. The project

5760-477: The largest cast-in-place concrete arch ever poured, a span of 3,000 feet. 1950s In 1952, the U.S. Army awarded Parsons a multi-year design and construction contract role for numerous laboratory and test facilities at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama . In January 1953, Parsons began work on the construction of Turkey's first oil refinery near Batman, Turkey. Between 1957 and 1960, Parsons designed Port Arguello Launch Complex 1 under contract to

5850-466: The last restrictions on travel from Love Field were lifted on October 13, 2014. Wright strongly supported the Superconducting Super Collider project in Waxahachie in Ellis County , but the work was halted in 1993. In 1971, Wright was appointed a Democratic deputy whip, picked for ideological balance. In this role, he was assigned responsibility for persuading Southern Democrats to support House Democratic leadership. Though Wright never chaired

5940-449: The legal system to get Mack off and, subsequently, protected him from media scrutiny. Amid the blistering public condemnation, John Mack resigned from his post on May 11, and House members of both parties began to question whether Wright could long-remain as speaker. In 1988 Wright became the target of an inquiry by the House Ethics Committee . Their report in early 1989 implied that he had used bulk purchases of his book, Reflections of

6030-417: The legislative process. Speaker Wright's strong, decisive leadership built an indelible legacy of progress, not only in his beloved state of Texas, but around the world. Wright championed prosperity for every working family, and helped lead the way to peace to Central America." The Speaker of the House, John Boehner , R-OH, stated that, "Speaker Wright understood as well as anyone this institution's closeness to

6120-435: The low finisher was obligated to withdraw, which McFall did. On the second ballot, Burton received 107 votes, Wright 95, and Bolling 93. With Bolling eliminated, on the third ballot, Wright won with 148 votes to 147 for Burton. When the 100th Congress convened on January 6, 1987, Wright was elected Speaker of the House (254–173 over Republican Robert H. Michel ), succeeding Tip O'Neill , who had retired after 10 years in

6210-441: The middle east, Parsons won a contract to design, engineer, and manage the construction of multiple facilities for ARAMCO's Saudi Arabian gas program . In October 1976, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded Parsons, as part of a joint venture, the Northeast Corridor Improvement Program contract, which was to provide a 456-mile, high-speed rail service between Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. In 1977, Parsons completed

6300-466: The morning of November 22, 1963, Wright appeared with President John F. Kennedy at the Hotel Texas for a breakfast event and a short speech outside. In 1956, Wright refused to join most of his regional colleagues in signing the segregationist Southern Manifesto , and voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1960 and 1968 . Wright voted against the initial House resolution for the Civil Rights Act of 1957 on June 18, 1957, but voted in favor of

6390-405: The national airspace system. 1970s In 1970, Parsons was hired by BP and ExxonMobil to perform engineering studies in Alaska to determine if the company could overcome the technical and logistical engineering challenges in Arctic oil production. In 1971, Parsons and Union Oil Co. of California demonstrated an improved sulfur recovery process at Union's Los Angeles pilot refinery plant. Based on

6480-533: The new construction on more than 100 major U.S. postal installations. Parsons continues to provide services for the USPS today. In 1975, Parsons was selected to transform Yanbu , Red Sea in Saudi Arabia into a thriving, modern port complex. The company provided the master plan, design, and construction management services for this self-contained industrial city of more that 100,000 people that produces oil, gas, and petrochemical products used worldwide. Continuing work in

6570-531: The plan would be a net consumer of energy, while others estimated a net gain of 60 to 80 million kilowatts after meeting the needs for pumping. The plan would potentially have included a navigable waterway in Canada from Alberta to Lake Superior , to be called the Transcontinental Canal. In addition to increasing availability of water, the canal would address problems of water pollution. The engineering of

6660-482: The position of House Majority Leader . Wright voted in favor of the bill establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday in August 1983. He became Speaker of the House after Tip O'Neill retired in 1987. In March 1988, Wright led the House Democratic Caucus as Speaker to override President Reagan 's veto of the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 . Wright resigned from Congress in June 1989 amid

6750-571: The post. At the time, Wright stated that being speaker of the House "is the greatest responsibility that can come to a lawmaker anywhere in the world." In July 1988, he chaired the Democratic Party convention that nominated Michael Dukakis for president. During that convention, Wright introduced John F. Kennedy Jr. for Kennedy's first televised speech. Almost 25 years earlier, on November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy, in his last speech before being assassinated, praised Wright's service in

6840-520: The project and the creation of a large number of new reservoirs — many of them in designated wilderness areas — would have destroyed vast areas of wildlife habitat in Canada and the American West and would have required the relocation of hundreds of thousands of people — including the entire city of Prince George, British Columbia . A number of federally designated Wild and Scenic Rivers in Idaho and Montana would be submerged under reservoirs, including

6930-469: The proven capacity to extract over 99% of the sulfur contained in the waste gases, the company was contracted to construct a full scale plant to harvest sulfur for industrial uses and reduce pollution. Following arctic oil production study, Parsons was hired in 1974 as managing contractor for all oil and gas facilities for BP and Exxon's east side portion of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Also in 1974, Parsons provided modernization and construction program services for

7020-548: The restrictions (Virginia McGuire, daughter of James C. Wright, direct conversation). However, the largest opposition came increasingly from people who simply felt that the amendment had outlived its usefulness and was also an unwarranted intrusion on the free markets of the deregulated airline industry. In 2006 Congress passed the Wright Amendment Reform Act of 2006 , which repealed the Wright Amendment in stages;

7110-456: The scheme, closed its doors in 1990. Environmental writer Marc Reisner noted in Cadillac Desert that the plan was one of "brutal magnificence" and "unprecedented destructiveness." Historian Ted Steinberg suggested that NAWAPA summed up "the sheer arrogance and imperial ambitions of the modern hydraulic West" and credited rising costs and the rise of the environmental movement with killing

7200-513: The settlement comes from allegations that Parsons knowingly overbilled the government on two Air Force contracts. In 1996, Parsons was awarded a contract by the USAID to reconstruct Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the Balkans, after the war. In 1997, Parsons began the structural rehabilitation and catenary designs that incorporated electrifying the railroad tracks of the Tagus River Bridge (also known as

7290-468: The support. The Reagan White House was very involved in the sale of U.S. arms to Iran in contravention of stated U.S. policy and in possible violation of arms-export controls. In late November 1986, Reagan Administration officials announced that some of the proceeds from the sale of U.S. arms to Iran had been diverted to the Contras. President Bush's pardon of Secretary Weinberger on December 24, 1992, pre-empted

7380-636: Was being ruined by the Democrats' tactics and that the GOP had to destroy the system before it could be saved. Cooperation in governance, says Zelizer, was put aside as they deposed Speaker Wright and regained power. Gingrich gained support from the media and from good government forces in his crusade to persuade Americans that the system was, in Gingrich's words, “morally, intellectually and spiritually corrupt.” Gingrich did force out Wright, but after he became Speaker Gingrich

7470-737: Was contracted to design the Apollo Spacecraft Propulsion System Development Facility at White Sands New Mexico. In 1964, Parsons created a technical and economic blueprint for the North American Water and Power Alliance (NAWAPA) , specifically in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The plan outlined concepts to build an integrated system of dams, channels, tunnels, reservoirs, hydroelectric plants, and pumping stations. The plan ultimately did not move forward due to environmental concerns and cost. In 1966, Parsons has served as general engineering consultant for

7560-574: Was convicted of malicious wounding and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but was paroled after serving 27 months. Mack, whose brother was married to Wright's daughter, was given a clerk's job in the Capitol upon his release. He went on to become the executive director of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee and served as Wright's chief legislative strategist. Critics, including feminist activist Andrea Dworkin , alleged that Wright manipulated

7650-460: Was defeated in his bid for reelection in 1948, after a rival claimed that Wright was weak in opposing both communism and interracial marriage . He was the mayor of Weatherford from 1950 to 1954. In 1953, he served as president of the League of Texas Municipalities. In 1954, he was elected to Congress from Texas's 12th congressional district , which included Fort Worth and Weatherford. He won despite

7740-720: Was founded, they were hired to provide turnkey engineering, management, and oil well drilling services to the great divide in Colorado, United States. In 1948, Parsons began work to develop naval missile facilities at Point Mugu Missile facility . Also in 1948, the Atomic Energy Commission created the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory reactor so that it could conduct advanced nuclear experiments with civilian and military reactors. Parsons designed all facilities for test and support operations—including

7830-404: Was himself forced out and scandal ruined the careers of other top GOP leaders. In May 1989, controversy arose when media reports revealed that Wright's top assistant, John Mack, had violently attacked a woman 16 years earlier. The woman, Pamela Small, was hit repeatedly with a hammer, stabbed and slashed with a knife and left for dead. Small survived the attack, and reported it to the police. Mack

7920-649: Was opposed by public sentiment in Canada, though Canadian financier Simon Reisman , who negotiated the Free Trade Agreement , the precursor to the North American Free Trade Agreement , was one of its backers and main promoters. Nonetheless, the Canadian position on free trade exempted water exports, in part specifically to pre-empt any attempted completion of Reisman's long-time pet project. The NAWAPA Foundation, which Parsons had founded to promote

8010-618: Was selected to design the Woodrow Wilson Bridge . 2000s On September 19, 2002, Parsons was awarded a contract to design, build commission and operate the Savannah River Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF) in South Carolina by the department of energy. In 2020, the company completed all steps to begin the treatment of radioactive waste at the facility. On October 8, 2002, Parsons proceeded on

8100-564: Was very different from that cited by William Black, who claimed Wright abused his power and certainly had reason to protect his own position and decisions at the Federal Home Loan Bank. The charges filed against Wright did not mention Nicaragua. The Iran-Contra operations from 1984 through most of 1986 involved the secret governmental support of Contra military and paramilitary activities in Nicaragua, despite Congressional prohibition on

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