I Like This First Gentleman

Before we might get a "First Gentleman" on the federal level, maybe as early as 2009, we're much more likely to have one in Nevada next year. And a great one at that!

Jim Wright is married to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dina Titus. What makes him such a great guy is that he seems to feel totally comfortable with his possible future role, so comfortable in fact that he already has some ideas in mind:

Wright looks forward to the chance of living in the Governor's Mansion.

"This is an old building. I'm a historian, so I love them," Wright said.

He sees the mansion as a platform to promote the arts.

Wright wants to devote some of the first floor to a public art display with rotating exhibitions from Nevada's schools and private artists.

"I see the Governor's Mansion as a venue to support the arts and humanities, and other academic things that have not been done very much so far," Wright said.

"I would foresee, very often having performances at the mansion "" theater, dance, music "" and offer it to groups around the state. And it would be the first gentleman who could bring a higher profile to things around the state. I'd love to do that."

He would not only be the first First Gentleman but also the first spouse of a Governor to hold Ph.D. according to the state archivist Guy Rocha. Wright is a historian and teaches Latin American history at UNLV.

Wright, in effect, seems to be responsible for the fact that Dina Titus is running for governor this year. Back in the 70's he did the best thing one can do to ensure that someone falls in love with Nevada:

About a year after they met, Wright took Titus on a rural tour of Nevada. That's when she fell in love with the state, said Wright, a local boy who grew up in Nevada, attending the old downtown Las Vegas High School.

"We called it the Nevada tour," Wright said. "I took her out to see the state, even before we were married in '78.

"We didn't go over to Reno or Carson City," Wright said. "We went up the eastern side of the state to Elko. We were on a lot of dirt roads. I showed her the ghost towns.

"We went through Pioche, Ely, the Lamoille Canyon. We came back though Eureka, Austin, down to Tonopah. So it was a big long loop.

"It was the first time she had seen the state, and she loved it from the very beginning," Wright said. I remember in Elko, she played a little blackjack, she won and bought dinner."

You can read the entire profile by Ray Hagar of the Reno Gazette-Journal here. It's pretty good. You can find more information about Tom Wright's career at the UNLV here.

Contribute to Dina now to ensure that Nevada has one great First Gentleman next year!