[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 7, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S2255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  TRIBUTE TO JUDGE WILLIAM C. SULLIVAN

  Mr. HEFLIN. Madam President, I want to pay tribute and offer my 
congratulations to my dear friend Judge William C. Sullivan on his new-
found lifestyle--retirement.
  Before starting his legal career in 1951, and becoming a circuit 
judge for Talledega County, Bill served in the U.S. Navy; played on a 
semi-pro baseball league; and was mayor of Lincoln, AL.
  When recalling my many memories of Judge Sullivan, I remember a 
rather humorous occasion which occurred in the summer of 1954. A police 
chief came to a baseball game in which Sullivan was a player only to 
tell him a gubernatorial candidate, ``Big Jim'' Folsom, wanted to see 
him. William sent word back to Jim that he would have to wait until the 
end of the game before he would break loose.
  When the two met, Bill of course in his soiled uniform, Big Jim was 
in disbelief--he even told Bill Sullivan he did not look like a mayor. 
Sullivan simply smiled and reminded Big Jim he was only a candidate, 
and not a Governor.
  The two later reunited when Big Jim swore Bill in as a judge 4 years 
later.
  Perhaps Judge Sullivan is most known for a 1962 civil rights case he 
presided over in which the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall 
was an acting attorney.
  Bill and I share one belief--we both agreed the transition from 
attorney to judge was difficult because once we became judges, we 
simply acted as referees. Thus, we could not ``slug it out'' in court 
with other attorneys.
  Judge Sullivan obviously knew his stuff. He went 20 years without a 
single reversal.
  Bill and his followers are proud of the fine job he did while serving 
on the Alabama Pattern Jury Instructions Committee, since it was his 
panel that published a reference book for jury instructions in civil 
cases used by most judges and lawyers in the State today.
  Bill has said he will not miss the workload, but will miss the 
challenging cases being played out in the courtroom.
  Upon his retirement, Talledega lost one of its best judges. I wish 
him all the best in his retirement and commend him for his leadership 
over the years.




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