[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 62 (Tuesday, May 7, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO JUSTICE FLORENCE KERINS MURRAY

                                 ______


                             HON. JACK REED

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 7, 1996

  Mr. REED. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge an outstanding 
Rhode Islander, Justice Florence Kerins Murray, who is celebrating the 
40th anniversary of her appointment to the bench.
  Justice Murray was educated in the Newport, RI public school system 
and graduated from Syracuse University with a bachelor of arts degree. 
Following a brief teaching career at the Prudence Island School, she 
attained her L.L.B. from Boston University Law School and was admitted 
to the Massachusetts Bar.
  During World War II, Justice Murray enlisted in the Women's Army 
Corps and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1942. She served 
in various capacities and left the corps as a lieutenant colonel, but 
was later recalled for a special duty assignment in 1947.
  Justice Murray returned to Rhode Island to practice law and raise a 
son with her beloved late husband, Paul. In 1948, she began her career 
in public service, serving with distinction on the Newport School 
Committee and in the Rhode Island State Senate concurrently until 1956. 
During this time, she displayed keen understanding of government policy 
and the legislative process and specialized in issues involving the 
welfare of children and the needs of the elderly. She served as master 
in the superior court and as chair of a special commission that led to 
the establishment in Rhode Island of the Nation's first family court.
  In 1956, Gov. Dennis J. Roberts appointed Florence Murray as an 
associate judge of the Rhode Island Superior Court, the first women 
justice in the history of our State. Twenty-two years later, she was 
named the first female presiding justice of that court, and in 1979, 
she was elected to her present position on the Rhode Island Supreme 
Court, one of the first women to serve on a State supreme court.
  The career of Justice Murray is an exemplary one, and she is renowned 
throughout the country as an outstanding jurist. She is a recipient of 
nine honorary doctorates and of the coveted Herbert Harley Award from 
the American Judicature Society.
  She is respected for her leadership, personal integrity, love of the 
law, sense of justice, and for her unselfish contribution to the 
welfare of the community. She has been a champion of professionalism in 
the courts and an inspiration to furthering the careers of women in the 
field of the law. Her intelligence, reason, compassion, and sense of 
fairness have been an enduring presence in the Rhode Island court 
system.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Justice 
Murray. She is a remarkable woman of impeccable character and 
reputation who honors all of us with her service. I urge you to 
recognize Justice Murray for her significant contribution to our legal 
system. This milestone is significant, and I am delighted to join in 
this most fitting tribute.

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