Salmon Lusk "S.L." Wright III

Wright III, Salmon Lusk "S.L." Jesus spoke to them saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12. Salmon Lusk "S.L." Wright III departed this Earthly life on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007, at age 76 at home among family. A kind, humble and gracious man, he was known as a businessman and a lifetime rice researcher and LSU alumnus. He graduated from Crowley High School, attended Northwestern State University in Natchitoches and received a master of science degree in agronomy from LSU in 1955. Following graduation from LSU in 1955, S.L. and his wife, Elaine, lived for two years overseas, where S.L. served as a signal corps officer in the U.S. Army Security Agency in Bavaria, Germany. S.L. continued serving his country for 18 years in the U.S. Army Reserve as a military intelligence officer in the Security Agency. In 1957, they came back to S.L.'s hometown of Crowley, where he joined his father, Salmon L. Wright Jr., in forming Wright Laboratory Inc., now operating as The Wright Group. The company initially served the rice industry by providing rinse-resistant grain premixes. S.L. played an integral part in making this product successful. His company expanded by providing blended vitamin and mineral premixes for the food industry throughout the United States, and then internationally. S.L. was the president and CEO of The Wright Group until his semi-retirement in 2003. S.L. and Elaine enjoyed a fruitful life in Crowley for the past 50 years. The two LSU alumni became charter members of the LSU Tiger Athletic Foundation and remain in the TAF Top 100. As loyal supporters of LSU, they enjoyed many football games together in their "Wright Tigers" suite and Stadium Club seats. S.L. was a member for more than 49 years of the Crowley Rotary Club, where he served a term as president and received the Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Club in 2006. He served as president of the Institute of Food Technologists Gulf Coast & Texas Sections and was honored with the Distinguished Service Award for his long-term service to the rice industry by the Rice Technical Work Group in 2004. While president of the company, S.L. received an honorable mention Lantern Award from Gov. Mike Foster. He was also awarded the Crowley Chamber of Commerce Businessman of the Year. S.L. was an active member of the Crowley First United Methodist Church and the Crowley High School Booster's Club. He was the 1969 president of the International Rice Festival and, along with Barbara Hoffpauir of Crowley, formed the Rice Festival Entertainment Troupe, a group of young singers and musicians. S.L. and longtime friend Rouse Caffey brought Ed McMahon and the Budweiser Clydesdales to the Rice Festival. Concurrent with his endeavors in the food industry, S.L. stayed close to his roots in the field of agriculture by raising cattle and taking the research of his grandfather, Sol Wright, a step further by developing the nutritional aspects of rice. He also developed an intense interest in crawfish and began rotating rice and crawfish on the Crystal Rice Plantation, as well as promoting these crops through agri-tourism. S.L continued the promotional work of his mother, Frances "Francine" Wright, which includes the Blue Rose Museum, Salmon's Car Museum, Blue Rose rice steamers, the Poor Man's Rice Cookbook and the efforts of the U.S. Rice Council. Always a humanitarian at heart, he had a lifetime interest in helping others through nutrition. For many years, his nutritional research focused on adding vitamin A and iron to rice for underdeveloped countries and later, in fortified honey in keeping with the tradition of Sol Wright as a beekeeper. Along with his daughter, Diane, he developed and patented a fortified rice bran ingredient for heart health. He is survived by his devoted wife of 52 years, Minnie Elaine Hoisington Wright, formerly of Baton Rouge; daughter, Diane Wright Hoffpauer of Crowley and her son, Nicholas Otto Hoffpauer; and three sons, Salmon L. "Sam" Wright IV, his wife, Ellen Foley-Wright, and their children, Jourdan, Meryl and Salmon L. "Sloan" Wright V, of Lafayette; Robert Lee Wright, his wife, Teresa Lynn Wright, and their children, Ashley, Zach, Sarah and Samantha; and William Jeb Stuart Wright, his wife, Cristy Rider Wright, and her children, Brody, Roman and Melody, of Crowley. He was preceded in death by his parents, Salmon L. Wright Jr. and Frances Wynn Wright. Visitation at Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home, 301 N. Avenue F, Crowley, on Wednesday, Feb. 21, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Thursday from 8 a.m. until the church service at 10 a.m. at First United Methodist Church, 321 E. 3rd St., Crowley. Burial in Woodlawn Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the S.L. Wright III Memorial Fund at First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 1064, Crowley, LA 70527. Friends who wish may express their condolences at http://www.geesey-ferguson.com.