[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 83 (Tuesday, June 23, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6914-S6915]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO U.S. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE MATTHEW PERRY

   Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I rise today to honor one of 
South Carolina's most beloved citizens and one of the nation's most 
eminent jurists: U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Perry.
  Matthew Perry grew up under ``Jim Crow,'' yet he overcame every 
barrier to his betterment that society threw up. He relied on his 
loving and supportive family as well as his own inner strength, 
wholesome ambition, and unerring moral compass to persevere in the face 
of naked hatred and discrimination. As one South Carolina newspaper 
recently noted, he ``had the benefits of good guidance and a good head, 
and the difficult challenge of growing up under a great adversity.''
  Matthew Perry put this adversity to good use. ``Jim Crow'' forged his 
character in steel, and his experience of unjust laws drove him to 
devote his life to justice. Against long odds, and with much greater 
effort than that required of more privileged students, he obtained his 
law degree and set to work to tear down the structure of segregation in 
South Carolina.
  As a lawyer in the 1960s, Matthew Perry was a leading figure in the 
Civil Rights Movement. He was instrumental in advancing black South 
Carolinians' rights and played a leading role in many important legal 
cases, particularly in defending civil rights activists who were 
prosecuted for their participation in non-violent demonstrations and 
sit-ins.
  Among the significant cases Matthew Perry helped prepare and argue 
were Edwards v South Carolina, in which the U.S. Supreme Court 
established important First Amendment protections for demonstrators; 
Peterson v City of Greenville, in which the Court enlarged the 
jurisdiction of federal constitutional protections over premises that 
had previously been considered outside federal anti-discrimination 
rules; and Newman v Piggie Pork Enterprises, one of the Court's 
earliest interpretations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
  Mr. President, today it is difficult to appreciate the courage of 
Matthew Perry's convictions and devotion to the cause of civil rights 
for black Americans. He worked long hours without pay, but money was 
the least of his concerns. In the 1950s and '60s, his advocacy of equal 
rights for all and an end to segregation earned him the visceral hatred 
of many, and his activism sometimes placed his life in danger. Yet the 
lessons of his childhood served him well, and he endured threats and 
taunts to triumph over a corrupt and fundamentally unjust system. In 
the end, Matthew Perry's idealism, intelligence, and integrity helped 
put an end forever to segregation and to firmly establish the universal 
principle of equality for all.
  Mr. President, it was my privilege to recommend to President Jimmy 
Carter that he nominate Matthew Perry to a seat on the U.S. District 
Court in South Carolina. In 1979, Matthew Perry was officially 
appointed to the Court. He was the first and to date only black judge 
on the Federal District Court in South Carolina.
  As always, Judge Perry is a pioneer. His example is an inspiration 
not just to black attorneys but to aspiring jurists of all classes and 
races. His life proves that with courage, conviction, and hard work, 
one can surmount even life's greatest challenges and contribute to 
society's lasting improvement.
  Mr. President, Princeton University recently awarded Judge Perry an 
honorary Doctor of Laws degree. This moment was one of great pride for 
Judge

[[Page S6915]]

Perry as well as for all South Carolinians. The citation which 
accompanied the degree is an eloquent tribute to Judge Perry's example 
and legacy. I ask that the Princeton University's tribute to Judge 
Matthew Perry be printed in the Record.
  The tribute follows:

                         Matthew J. Perry, Jr.


                             Doctor of Laws

       Senior United States District Judge South Carolina. Matthew 
     Perry was appointed in 1979 to the U.S. District Court by 
     President Carter and is the first and only African-American 
     in South Carolina history to hold that position. As a lawyer 
     during the 1960s he was a major force in the Civil Rights 
     Movement in South Carolina. He played a leading role in a 
     number of significant legal cases, especially to assist 
     activists who participated in sit-ins and other 
     demonstrations and who were being criminally prosecuted. 
     Among the cases he helped prepare were Edwards v. South 
     Carolina, in which the United States Supreme Court 
     established significant first amendment protections for 
     demonstrators; Peterson v. City of Greenville, in which the 
     Supreme Court enlarged the jurisdiction of federal 
     constitutional protections over premises that had previously 
     been thought to be outside federal antidiscrimination rules; 
     and Newman v. Piggie Pack Enterprises, one of the Supreme 
     Court's early interpretations of the Civil Rights Act of 
     1964. For many years he was the only lawyer available in 
     South Carolina to represent African-American defendants in 
     capital cases. South Carolina State University (B.S. 1948; 
     LL.B., 1951).
       A pioneer whose tireless and skillful adovocacy helped 
     protect and propel the pioneering actions of others, he was 
     the leading attorney for the Civil Rights Movement in South 
     Carolina. Often without pay, he provided knowledgeable, 
     timely, and wise counsel to young activists we now rightly 
     view as heroes. Inside and outside the courtroom, his legal 
     acumen and his social vision helped to secure Constitutional 
     protections for such freedoms as speech and assembly, and 
     helped to replace discrimination with opportunity. As the 
     first-and so far only-African-American judge on the federal 
     district court in his native state, he extends a lifelong 
     commitment to integrity and fairness, to liberty and justice 
     for all.

                          ____________________