[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 15 (Wednesday, February 25, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E230]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        JOSE V. TOLEDO UNITED STATES POST OFFICE AND COURTHOUSE

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. CARLOS A. ROMERO-BARCELO

                             of puerto rico

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 25, 1998

  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of the outstanding 
service of the late Judge Jose Victor Toledo, today I introduce a bill 
to designate the United States Post Office and Courthouse in Old San 
Juan, Puerto Rico as the ``Jose V. Toledo United States Post Office and 
Courthouse.''
  Judge Jose Toledo served on the bench of the United States District 
Court, District of Puerto Rico, from December 1, 1970 to February 1980, 
when he died in office at the age of 49. He rose to the position of 
Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court in Puerto Rico and served with 
great distinction in that capacity until the moment of his untimely 
death.
  ``Pepe'' Toledo, as he was known to many, was regarded by those who 
knew him prior to and after his appointment to the Federal bench as a 
man of paramount integrity and a loyal public servant. Judge Toledo was 
born August 14, 1931 in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. He received a Bachelor of 
Arts degree from the University of Florida in 1952 and a Juris Doctor 
from the University of Puerto Rico Law School in 1955. Prior to his 
appointment to the Federal bench, Judge Toledo served as an Assistant 
United States Attorney, as a partner of several law firms in Puerto 
Rico, and as a lawyer in local government in Puerto Rico. He served in 
the United States Army as a Member of the Judge Advocate Corps.
  Judge Toledo was also a distinguished leader of the Exchange Clubs of 
Puerto Rico, through which he proudly served his community in Puerto 
Rico. He demonstrated his value to the organization through his 
involvement and commitment both at the local and national levels.
  As expressed by the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court in Puerto 
Rico, the Honorable Carmen Consuelo Cerezo, on behalf of the judges of 
the Federal court of Puerto Rico, ``Judge Jose V. Toledo earned the 
respect of the public, the bar, and the bench for his patience, 
impartiality, fairness and decorum in the adjudication of the 
controversies brought before him. Judge Toledo set high standards for 
himself, yet he had a refreshing humility and capacity to understand 
the problems of others. His hallmarks were learning in wisdom, tempered 
by a tremendous feeling for people.''
  The U.S. Post Office and Courthouse in Old San Juan, built in 1914, 
stands above the foundations of the ancient-city wall that has guarded 
the harbor-entrance to the city for more than 300 years. Built only 15 
years after Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory, it is listed on the 
National Register of Historic Places of the U.S. Department of Interior 
National Park Service. The site represents the eclecticism of American 
Architecture of the late XIX and early XX centuries, as it integrates 
American-Spanish-Revival, Sullivanesque and Beaux Arts Neoclassical 
Revival styles. The ``Correo,'' as it has been known to generations of 
Puerto Ricans, is an imposing and beautiful structure which has stood 
magnificently within the old city walls, and within the hearts of 
Puerto Ricans as a symbol of the greatness of times past and of the 
importance of the U.S. Postal Service in Puerto Rico. It is fitting 
that this structure, so dear to us, should carry the name of Judge Jose 
V. Toledo.
  The judges of the United States District Court, District of Puerto 
Rico, who voted unanimously to recommend the naming of the Federal 
courthouse in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico in honor of Jose V. Toledo, 
referred to the late Judge Toledo as a ``learned jurist, outstanding 
citizen, and excellent human being.'' I am immensely proud to honor his 
memory with this bill to designate the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse 
in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico as the ``Jose V. Toledo United States Post 
Office and Courthouse.''

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