Wright v. CITGO
Confidential
Settlements
$1 Million Memorial Gift Honors Local Man and Generates
Funds for Equipment, Scholarships, and Technical Training
at Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi
WRIGHT
SCHOLARSHIP GIFT HIGHLIGHTS: |
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Corpus Christi, Texas - A $1 million memorial gift
has been donated to Texas A&M University-Corpus
Christi in honor of a local man killed in a refinery
explosion two years ago. Judy Wright, the widow of
Lonnie Wright, is donating $1 million to Texas A&M
University-Corpus Christi; Perry & Haas, L.L.P.,
the attorneys who represented her in a lawsuit against
the refinery where Mr. Wright was killed, are supporting
this gift by waiving attorneys fees on that portion
of the settlement.
According to Dr. Diana Marinez, dean of the College
of Science and Technology, "The gift will have
a significant impact on the future of the University
and its students."
Lonnie Wright Control Room
Part of the gift will be used by the University to
purchase equipment needed to develop a technical engineering
program that teaches safety control systems to engineering
students. The University is honoring Mr. Wright by
naming the classroom which will house this equipment
the "Lonnie Wright Control Room." A plaque
with the name of the classroom and an etching of Mr.
Wright will be displayed at the room’s entrance.
"We are very happy that the University has agreed
to use some of this gift to train young people who
want to enter the technical engineering field, which
promotes safety in refineries," said Mrs. Wright.
Wright Family Scholarship
The Wright gift will also fund the Wright Family Scholarship
Fund which will provide scholarships for local and
area students who attend Texas A&M University-Corpus
Christi.
"There are many students who, of various reasons,
may not qualify for state or federal assistance to
pursue a college degree, but still have excellent academic
records. These are the students who will be targeted
by the Wright Family Scholarship fund," said René Haas
of the law firm of Perry & Haas, L.L.P. "Lonnie
Wright was one of those individuals who was working
hard to support his family and to provide them with
opportunities to further their education by attending
college and his family wants to honor him with this
memorial."
About Lonnie Wright
Lonnie Wright, who worked for the local citgo Refinery,
was killed when a boiler at the Corpus Christi plant
exploded on August 9, 1999. On January 23rd, Perry & Haas
announced the settlement of Wright v. Citgo, in which
Citgo agreed to upgrade boilers at the refinery to
comply with National Fire Protection Association Code
standards.
"Lonnie Wright was a student at the campus that
is now Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and
it was his dedication to further educating himself
that prompted his family to use some of the citgo settlement
money to honor him with a memorial fund that bears
his name," said Judge René Haas, of Perry & Haas,
L.L.P.
Challenge to the Industry
At the news conference announcing the gift, Judge
René Haas challenged Corpus Christi industry
to support efforts initiated by the Wrights to provide
the A & M-Corpus Christi's College of Science and
Technology with the means to train future technical
engineers to strive for the highest levels of safety
standards possible within the refinery industry.
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