Vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) structures with self-organized InGaAs quantum wires (QWRs) in their active region were grown on (775)B-oriented GaAs substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. The (775)B self-organized InGaAs QWRs have a regularly corrugated AlAs-on-InGaAs upper interface with average lateral period of 40 nm and vertical amplitude of 1.5 nm and a flat InGaAs-on-AlAs lower interface. The (775)B VCSEL structure was optically pumped and showed room temperature lasing action for wavelength of around 830 nm. The light output was linearly polarized and the polarization direction was fixed to the QWR direction. This is the first demonstration of polarization control of VCSELs by self-organized QWRs in their active region. (C) 2004 American Vacuum Society.