[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 23, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H672-H673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HIRAM H. WARD FEDERAL BUILDING AND UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 92) to designate the Federal building and 
United States courthouse located at 251 North Main Street in Winston-
Salem, North Carolina, as the ``Hiram H. Ward Federal Building and 
United States Courthouse.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 92

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The Federal building and United States courthouse located 
     at 251 North Main Street in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Hiram H. Ward Federal 
     Building and United States Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the Federal building 
     referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to 
     the ``Hiram H. Ward Federal Building and United States 
     Courthouse''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Franks) and the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Wise) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Franks).
  Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 92 designates the Federal building and the United 
States courthouse located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as the 
``Hiram H. Ward Federal Building and United States Courthouse.''
  Hiram H. Ward is a distinguished jurist who sat on the Federal bench 
for more than 20 years. He was born and raised in North Carolina and 
served in the United States Army Air Force during World War II. In 
1972, President Nixon appointed Judge Ward to the Federal bench for the 
Middle District for North Carolina.
  He served the Middle District as a judge and chief judge until 1988 
when he elected to take senior status. However, even in senior status, 
Judge Ward continued to sit for an additional 6 years with the Fourth 
Circuit Court of Appeals.
  This is a fitting tribute to a dedicated public servant. I support 
the bill, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. WISE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks, and include extraneous material.)
  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, I also want to echo the words of the gentleman 
from New Jersey (Mr. Franks), our subcommittee chairman, in recognizing 
Judge Ward for his many accomplishments and certainly echoing our 
enthusiasm for naming the courthouse the ``Hiram H. Ward Federal 
Building and United States Courthouse.''
  Judge Ward became the chief judge in 1982. In 1988, Judge Ward took 
senior status. He was a member of various judicial committees, 
including membership on the Committee on Codes of Conduct of the 
Judicial Conference.
  As an alumnist of Wake Forest undergraduate school and law school, 
Judge Ward is an active participant on the Board of Visitors of Wake 
Forest University. Additionally, he is a decorated World War II veteran 
and earned the Purple Heart.
  The committee received numerous letters of support for this bill.
  I will include for the Record letters of support and recognition. For 
brevity's sake, I will summarize these letters by saying that there is 
unanimous agreement on Judge Ward's outstanding contributions to the 
judicial community as well as his tireless efforts as a public servant.
  I support H.R. 92 and urge its passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble), my 
distinguished colleague.
  Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Franks) and the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Wise) for their work 
in this matter.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill is not a case of first impression before this 
body. It was before us in the last session of the Congress and was 
approved by the House where it went to the Senate to unfortunately die 
on the vine because the Senate adjourned prior to addressing several 
proposals to name buildings in honor of outstanding Americans.
  My friends, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Franks) and the 
gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Wise) have told us much about Judge 
Ward. As has been mentioned, he is an alumnist of Wake Forest 
University, which is not located in my district. The gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Burr) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Watt) each represent portions of Forsyth County in which Winston-Salem 
is located.
  But I had the privilege of appearing before Judge Ward on several 
occasions 2\1/2\ decades ago as an assistant United States attorney. At 
that time, the United States Attorney was Bill Osteen who now himself 
sits as a United States District Judge in the Middle District of North 
Carolina.
  As was mentioned by either the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Franks) 
or the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Wise), Judge Ward 
distinguished himself prominently during the Second World War, amassed 
a very impressive war record during that time.
  Mr. Speaker, if I may, I would like to share a personal story which I 
think speaks volumes as to the man whom we honor today. This was the 
first appearance on the bench by Judge Ward. I do not recall the 
specific year, nor the month. But it was early in the morning, early in 
the morning by court standards, Mr. Speaker, 9:30, 10 o'clock. This was 
the judge's first appearance, as I say, as a jurist.
  The first order of business that morning, my friends, was a 
naturalization ceremony whereby a German woman who had applied for 
citizenship was recognized that morning, and citizenship was in fact 
conferred upon her.
  At the conclusion of the naturalization ceremony, the newly addressed 
American woman began to weep, and her sobs became almost 
uncontrollable. She was weeping heavily. Keep in mind, Judge Ward, 
although he was a seasoned trial attorney, he was nonetheless a rookie 
judge. This was his first day in court with the robe.
  He looked down from the bench into the eyes of that sobbing German-
born woman, and he said to her, ``Madam, is there anything that we, the 
court, can do to assist you in your trouble?"
  She regained her composure, and she said to Judge Ward, ``My tears, 
Your Honor, are tears of joy.'' She said, ``I am so happy to be a newly 
recognized American citizen, but I am weeping because my family and my 
friends are in Germany, and they are not here in Durham.'' This was in 
Durham, North Carolina. ``They are not here in Durham to share this 
very special day in my life with me.'' Then her sobs became more softly 
expressed.
  Judge Ward said to her, ``Madam, most of the people in this courtroom 
today are Americans as a result of geographic consequences, where their 
parents happened to be residing at the time of their birth. But,'' he 
said to her, ``you, madam, unlike most people in this courtroom today, 
are an American by choice. You have chosen to abandon your citizenship 
as a German woman, and you have become an American.''
  Mr. Speaker, I think I will never forget that exchange. Judge Ward's 
words were so comforting to her, she ceased her weeping, and her facial 
response expressed a smile. I think she even audibly laughed as a 
result.
  I concluded then, I said, the calm, assuring manner expressed by 
Judge Ward that morning assuaged the discomfort that plagued and 
troubled this German-born woman upon whom American citizenship had just 
been conferred.
  I concluded without saying so aloud that this man on the bench will 
become an outstanding jurist. My conclusion,

[[Page H673]]

Mr. Speaker, was prophetic. Judge Hiram Ward has indeed become an 
outstanding jurist. I am pleased to be the sponsor of this bill.
  I again thank my friends, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Franks) 
and the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Wise) for their assistance, 
and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Chairman Shuster) and the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the ranking member of the full 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
  I urge my colleagues in the House to vote favorably in passage of 
this proposal.
  Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), my distinguished colleague.
  (Mr. BURR of North Carolina asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURR of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I am indeed honored to be 
here and rise in support of H.R. 92. This bill was previously 
unanimously passed by this body in the 105th Congress but was not taken 
up by the United States Senate.
  We have heard about the human face behind Judge Ward by the gentleman 
from North Carolina (Mr. Coble). Clearly, nobody can tell it better 
than the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble).
  Let me tell my colleagues a little bit about Hiram Ward, though. 
After his plane was shot down in a World War II mission over Burma, 
Judge Ward was decorated with the Purple Heart and the Air Medal. Soon 
after returning to the United States, he dedicated himself to his 
education and to his career.
  Following that military service, he was quickly accepted and enrolled 
at Wake Forest College, now Wake Forest University that just had that 
large comeback against Florida State this past week in basketball.
  Judge Ward went on to serve 20 years as a private attorney, gaining 
the highest respect from his peers and colleagues for his devotion, for 
his honesty, and for his hard work. Judge Ward's passion and his 
dedication to his work is echoed still today by his peers and his 
colleagues in North Carolina's Federal District Courts and the Fourth 
Circuit Court.
  His reputation ultimately earned Judge Hiram Ward an appointment to 
the Federal bench by President Richard Nixon in 1972. By 1982, he had 
become chief judge where he would stay until 1988 when he elected 
senior status.
  Mr. Speaker, Judge Ward is a man of commitment, service, and honor. 
He has provided North Carolina with the kind of service and dedication 
that I can only hope for in our future.
  It is my sincere belief that the legislation currently before this 
House to designate the Federal building in Winston-Salem as the ``Hiram 
H. Ward Federal Building and United States Courthouse'' is both a 
fitting tribute for a man who gave so much selfless service to his 
country and to the people of North Carolina.
  I want to thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble) as the 
sponsor for introducing this legislation. I want to encourage all of my 
colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. 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 New Jersey (Mr. Franks) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 92.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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