[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 99 (Wednesday, July 14, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1536]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO JUDGE CHARLES WATKINS, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 14, 1999

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a 
friend, a colleague and a tremendous public interest human being, Judge 
Charles Watkins, Jr., who recently passed away. Judge was much too 
young to die, and yet he did probably because like many other men and 
especially African American men, did not adequately look after his 
health. Judge was getting ready to retire from his position as a 
distinguished professor at Malcolm X College in Chicago. Judge was born 
in Vandalia, La. in a family of ten children. He like most of his peers 
was taught the value of hard work. Therefore, after high school, Judge 
entered the military, did his time, came out and went to college to 
study medical laboratory technology. He got married, and he and his 
wife HermaJean, had three children, Debbie, Judge C. Watkins III 
(Chuckie), and Carlos. Judge continued his education and eventually 
earned a Doctorate's Degree.
  Judge had a strong work ethic and worked two and sometimes three jobs 
for practically all of his adult life. He worked in the blood bank at 
the University of Illinois, was Director of the Laboratory at the 
Martin Luther King, Jr. Neighborhood Health Center and developed the 
medical laboratory technology program at Malcolm X College where he 
taught for thirty years. Judge was a hardnosed union activist, helped 
to organize the Cook County College Teachers Union and served as its 
vice president for 21 years.
  Notwithstanding all of his professional accomplishments, Judge was 
most known for his involvement in public activity and his willingness 
to reach out and help others.
  He was a participating member of the United Baptist Church and served 
as chairman of the 7th Congressional District Political Action 
Committee and was a vice president of the Illinois Federation of 
Teachers. Judge was tough, tenacious and a skilled labor negotiator who 
could stand like a rock and not be moved. Although he had reached a 
high level of professional and social prominence, he lived among and 
worked with people in low-income communities which at one time was 
characterized by the Chicago Tribune as home for the permanent 
underclass.
  He enjoyed the simple things of life, church with his family, 
backyard barbeques, trips back to Arkansas and Louisiana, family re-
unions, poker games with the boys, interacting with his peers and 
students, attending community meetings or just sitting at home with his 
family.
  Judge lived his life at the top of the class and shall always be 
remembered like a tree planted by the river of water. He would not be 
moved, he would not be compromised and he shall not be forgotten.

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