[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 128 (Wednesday, September 23, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H8496-H8497]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        ROBERT K. RODIBAUGH UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURTHOUSE

  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 81) to designate the United States courthouse located at 401 
South Michigan Street in South Bend, Indiana, as the ``Robert K. 
Rodibaugh United States Bankruptcy Courthouse''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 81

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The United States courthouse located at 401 South Michigan 
     Street in South Bend, Indiana, shall be known and designated 
     as the ``Robert K. Rodibaugh United States Bankruptcy 
     Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the United States 
     courthouse referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``Robert K. Rodibaugh United States 
     Bankruptcy Courthouse''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Kim) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Kim).
  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 81 designates the United States courthouse in South 
Bend, Indiana, as the ``Robert K. Rodibaugh United States Bankruptcy 
Courthouse.''
  Judge Rodibaugh served the Northern District of Indiana in the area 
of bankruptcy law since his appointment as a bankruptcy judge in 1960. 
During his tenure, he oversaw the growth of the bankruptcy court from 
one small courtroom with a part-time referee and a clerk's office of 4 
employees in South Bend, to four separate courtrooms located throughout 
northern Indiana. In 1985, Judge Rodibaugh was appointed Chief 
Bankruptcy Judge and assumed senior status in 1986.
  Judge Rodibaugh has fulfilled his duties as a referee and a judge in 
bankruptcy proceedings with a patience, fairness, and dedication to 
legal scholarship which is most worthy of recognition. It is a fitting 
tribute to honor him and his accomplishments in this manner.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation and urge my colleagues to 
join me to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the fine gentleman from South Bend, Indiana (Mr. Roemer), the sponsor 
of this legislation.
  Mr. ROEMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Traficant) and I also want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Kim) for their help on this very important piece of legislation today 
that we honor Judge Rodibaugh with.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Traficant) for his hard work on this bill. I know he has visited my 
hometown of South Bend a couple of different times when he played 
football at the University of Pittsburgh. I would like to say that he 
was 0 and 2 when he visited my hometown, but I think he got a win one 
year and was 1 and 1 against the Fighting Irish.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute Judge Robert Kurtz Rodibaugh, a loyal 
and dedicated friend, the senior bankruptcy judge for the South Bend 
Division of the Northern District of the State of Indiana. It is truly 
a great honor for me to recognize Judge Rodibaugh, who has consistently 
demonstrated generosity and selfless dedication to the citizens and 
legal community of northern Indiana.

[[Page H8497]]

  At the beginning of this Congress, I introduced H.R. 81 to designate 
the recently dedicated courthouse on the corner of Western and South 
Michigan Streets in South Bend, Indiana, in honor of Judge Rodibaugh 
and his numerous contributions to the legal community. Last year, I 
also had the privilege to attend the dedication ceremony for the 
Rodibaugh Courthouse. While the courthouse has already been dedicated, 
I believe that H.R. 81 is an appropriate way to express our gratitude 
for Judge Rodibaugh's lifelong dedication to public service.
  Mr. Speaker, without question, the Robert K. Rodibaugh United States 
Bankruptcy Courthouse is a fitting title for the new bankruptcy 
facility. Judge Rodibaugh is a shining example of the importance of 
public service whose tireless contributions provide an invaluable 
service to our community, my hometown, South Bend, Indiana.
  Mr. Speaker, I am confident that Judge Rodibaugh will continue to 
play a constructive and important role in our community and will 
continue to serve as a powerful inspiration to all of those who come 
into contact with him. I thank the House of Representatives for passing 
this, and I thank the chairman and ranking member for their assistance, 
and congratulate Judge Rodibaugh.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in appreciation of Judge Robert Kurtz 
Rodibaugh, a loyal and dedicated friend, the senior bankruptcy judge 
for the South Bend Division of the Northern District of Indiana. It is 
truly a great honor for me to recognize Judge Rodibaugh, who has 
consistently demonstrated generosity and selfless dedication to the 
citizens and legal community of Northern Indiana.
  At the beginning of the current Congress, I introduced legislation, 
H.R. 81, in the U.S. House of Representatives to designate the recently 
dedicated courthouse on the corner of Western and South Michigan 
Streets in South Bend, Indiana in honor of Judge Rodibaugh and his 
numerous contributions to the legal community. Last year, I had the 
privilege to attend the dedication ceremony for the ``Robert K. 
Rodibaugh United States Bankruptcy Courthouse.'' While this courthouse 
has already been dedicated, I believe that H.R. 81 is an appropriate 
way to express our gratitude for Judge Rodibaugh's life-long dedication 
to public service.
  Mr. Speaker, as you may recall, I introduced identical legislation 
which was passed by the House of Representatives during the last 
Congress. Unfortunately, the measure was not considered by the U.S. 
Senate before the 104th Congress adjourned. I am honored to sponsor 
H.R. 81 and pleased that the majority of the Indiana Congressional 
delegation has cosponsored my legislation. Judge Rodibaugh is 
recognized by his community and his peers as an honorable man worthy of 
such a tribute. He is highly regarded throughout the entire country and 
has been a pillar of the community. Moreover, he is greatly respected 
by other judges and the bankruptcy bar in Northern Indiana. Since his 
initial appointment as a referee in bankruptcy in November 1960 and 
throughout his legal career as a bankruptcy judge, Judge Rodibaugh has 
served the citizens and legal community of the Northern District of 
Indiana wisely, efficiently, and honorably.
  A native of Elkhart County, Indiana, Judge Rodibaugh graduated from 
the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1940 
and attended the University of Notre Dame Law School, where he served 
as the Associate Editor of the Notre Dame Law Review between 1940 and 
1941. He received his Juris Doctor degree in 1941. After gaining his 
admittance to practice law in 1941, Judge Rodibaugh entered active duty 
as a private in the United States Army. He was discharged in 1946 as a 
Captain after serving in the infantry and armored forces during World 
War II. Following his release, Judge Rodibaugh entered private practice 
in 1946. He also served as the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney of the 60th 
Judicial Circuit, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, from 1948 to 1950, and 
again from 1953 to 1957. In addition, Judge Rodibaugh served as 
Attorney for the St. Joseph County Board of Zoning Appeals between 1958 
and 1960.
  Mr. Speaker, Judge Rodibaugh received the 33 Years of Distinguished 
Service to Bench and Bar Award from the Bankruptcy Judges of the 
Seventh Circuit in 1993, the 50 Year Golden Career Award from the 
Indiana State Bar Association in 1991, and the Notre Dame Law School's 
Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1991. Some of the significant cases that 
Judge Rodibaugh has decided include Papelow v. Foley and In the Matter 
of John Kelly Jeffers. Judge Rodibaugh has always enjoyed the challenge 
of bankruptcy law and has a special talent for working with corporate 
reorganizations. Recently, Judge Rodibaugh said: ``I still think 
bankruptcy law is one of the most fascinating areas of the law. When a 
reorganization is successful, it is a satisfying feeling.''
  Mr. Speaker, throughout his tenure, Judge Rodibaugh has presided over 
the growth of the bankruptcy court in Northern Indiana from one small 
courtroom with a part-time referee and a clerk's office of two 
employees in South Bend, Indiana, to four different courtrooms in the 
cities of South Bend, Fort Wayne, Gary, and Lafayette, Indiana, with 
four full-time judges and a clerk's office of over forty employees. 
According to his colleague, Judge Harry Dees, also a bankruptcy judge 
for the Northern District of Indiana: ``Judge Rodibaugh never 
complained about all the weekly traveling, he just did it.''
  Moreover, Judge Rodibaugh has fulfilled his duties as a bankruptcy 
judge with patience, fairness, dedication and legal scholarship which 
is most worthy of recognition. His high standards have benefitted the 
many law clerks and judicial personnel who have served under his 
tutelage, the lawyers who have practiced before the bankruptcy court, 
as well as the citizens residing in the Northern District of Indiana. 
In 1985, Judge Rodibaugh was appointed Chief Judge of the U.S. 
Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Indiana. He served in 
that position until he assumed full-time recall status as a senior 
judge one year later. Today, Judge Rodibaugh continues in this 
position, carrying a full case load, and he has no plans to cut back on 
his work with the court. Currently, Judge Rodibaugh and his wife, 
Eunice, live in South Bend, Indiana.
  Mr. Speaker, it is important for me to indicate that the firm of 
Panzica Development Company with Western Avenue Properties, LLC, 
graciously agreed to name the new privately-owned courthouse building 
in Judge Rodibaugh's honor, owing to his unblemished character and 
numerous professional achievements in the bankruptcy field. I am 
confident that the ``Robert K. Rodibaugh United States Bankruptcy 
Courthouse'' is an appropriate title for the new bankruptcy court 
facility. Judge Rodibaugh is a shining example of the importance of 
public service, whose tireless contributions provide an invaluable 
service to our community. I am confident that Judge Rodibaugh will 
continue to play a constructive and important role in our community, 
and will continue to serve as a powerful inspiration to all of those 
who come into contact with him.
  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) the young man 
from South Bend, was, I believe, about 4 years old when I was in South 
Bend. I am amazed that he has such a recollection. I know he loves 
football and that is what makes him so avid.
  Mr. Speaker, I compliment the gentleman for recognizing this great 
judge. When the bankruptcy courts opened up back there, I think they 
had one part-time clerk and a small office. They graduated to four full 
bankruptcy courts in Mr. Roemer's hometown of South Bend, and also Fort 
Wayne, Gary, and Lafayette.
  This is a very respected judge, noted for fairness, dedication, and 
legal scholarship. Nearly everyone that endorsed this talked body legal 
scholarship and helping to bring bankruptcy matters to the forefront of 
consideration of the court system.
  So, I want to compliment and commend the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. 
Roemer) for his efforts. I want to also say that without a doubt, we 
not only have a great jurist, but a great American. I am proud to 
support the legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Kim) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 81.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5, rule I, and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________