[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 265 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 265

  Honoring the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Congressman Louis 
                                Stokes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 22, 2015

    Mr. Brown (for himself and Mr. Portman) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Honoring the life, accomplishments, and legacy of Congressman Louis 
                                Stokes.

Whereas Louis Stokes was born on February 23, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio, to 
        Charles and Louise Cinthy Stokes;
Whereas, in 1943, Louis Stokes graduated from Central High School in Cleveland, 
        Ohio;
Whereas, from 1943 to 1946, Louis Stokes served as a personnel specialist in the 
        United States Army;
Whereas, following these years of military service, Louis Stokes returned to 
        Cleveland and attended the Cleveland College of Western Reserve 
        University from 1946 to 1948 and earned a Juris Doctor from the 
        Cleveland Marshall School of Law in 1953;
Whereas Louis Stokes practiced law in Cleveland, Ohio for 14 years and was one 
        of the founders of the Stokes, Stokes, Character and Terry law firm;
Whereas, during his time at his law firm, Louis Stokes became involved in a 
        number of civil rights related cases, often working pro bono on behalf 
        of poor clients and activists;
Whereas Louis Stokes argued 3 cases before the Supreme Court of the United 
        States, including the landmark case of Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968), 
        which defined the legality of police search and seizure procedures;
Whereas, on November 6, 1968, Louis Stokes was elected to the House of 
        Representatives, representing the 21st (later the 11th) District of 
        Ohio;
Whereas, upon his election, Louis Stokes became the first African-American to 
        represent Ohio in the House of Representatives;
Whereas Congressman Stokes was a founding member of the Congressional Black 
        Caucus, an organization comprised of the Black Members of the Congress 
        and created to be the voice for people of color and vulnerable 
        communities;
Whereas Congressman Stokes served as the chairman of the Congressional Black 
        Caucus for 2 terms;
Whereas, in 1971, Congressman Stokes was the first African-American to serve on 
        the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and, by 
        his retirement in 1998, had earned the distinguished rank of 
        ``Cardinal'' as chairman of the Subcommittee on VA-HUD-Independent 
        Agencies;
Whereas Congressman Stokes chaired a number of historic committees, including--

    (1) the House Select Committee on the Assassinations of President John 
F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 95th Congress;

    (2) the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in the 100th 
Congress; and

    (3) the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct in the 97th and 98th 
Congresses;

Whereas Congressman Stokes also served on the Committee on the Budget of the 
        House of Representatives and gained national prominence as a member of 
        the House Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with 
        Iran in 1987;
Whereas, in 1998, Congressman Stokes successfully led the House of 
        Representatives in passing H.R. 1635, the National Underground Railroad 
        Network to Freedom Act, which was his final major piece of legislation;
Whereas, after serving 15 consecutive terms in the House of Representatives, 
        Congressman Stokes ranked 11th out of 435 Members of Congress in 
        seniority and was the dean of the Ohio delegation;
Whereas few Members have left such an indelible mark in the House of 
        Representatives;
Whereas with kindness, integrity, and diligence, Congressman Stokes worked hard 
        with both sides of the aisle to serve the constituents of his 
        Congressional District, the city of Cleveland, the State of Ohio, and 
        citizens of the United States;
Whereas Congressman Stokes worked tirelessly for minorities, the poor, and 
        disadvantaged persons;
Whereas Congressman Stokes played a pivotal role in the quest for civil rights, 
        equality, and justice;
Whereas the Christian faith of Congressman Stokes was the foundation of his 
        service to others;
Whereas Congressman Stokes often expressed gratitude for the sacrifices of his 
        mother--a young widow, former sharecropper, and daughter of slaves--who 
        inspired her sons to get an education so that her sons would not have to 
        work with their hands as she had done as a domestic worker;
Whereas Congressman Stokes received numerous awards and honors during his 
        lifetime that recognize his leadership and his commitment to public 
        service;
Whereas there are several landmarks in the city of Cleveland that bear the name 
        of Congressman Stokes, including the Louis Stokes Wing of the Cleveland 
        Public Library, the Louis Stokes Health Sciences Center at Case Western 
        Reserve University, and the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs 
        Medical Center;
Whereas nationally, buildings named in honor of Congressman Stokes include the 
        Louis Stokes Laboratories at the National Institutes of Health in 
        Bethesda, Maryland and the Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library at 
        Howard University in Washington, DC;
Whereas, given his commitment to education, the Louis Stokes Alliance for 
        Minority Participation (LSAMP) in science, technology, engineering, and 
        mathematics (STEM) at the National Science Foundation also bears the 
        name of Congressman Stokes;
Whereas LSAMP assists universities and colleges in increasing the number of 
        students completing high quality degree programs in the STEM disciplines 
        in order to diversify the STEM workforce;
Whereas Louis Stokes received 26 honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and 
        universities; and
Whereas, on July 8, 2003, Congressman Stokes was honored by the Congress with 
        the Congressional Distinguished Service Award: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) honors the life, accomplishments, and legacy of 
        Congressman Louis Stokes; and
            (2) extends its heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the 
        family, friends, and loved ones of Congressman Louis Stokes.
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