[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 114 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF JUDGE FRANK M. JOHNSON, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROBERT B. ADERHOLT

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 5, 1999

  Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Judge Frank 
M. Johnson, Jr. a native of my hometown of Haleyville, Alabama. On July 
23, 1999, Judge Johnson passed away at the age of 80.
  After graduating from the University of Alabama in 1943 at the top of 
his class, Frank Johnson enlisted in the Army as a private. Soon, he 
received a commission as an infantry lieutenant. During World War II, 
he served during the Normandy invasion, and won a Bronze Star as a 
platoon leader in Gen. Patton's Third Army. Twice he was wounded in 
battle during the war. After he recovered, he was transferred to 
England and served out the war as a legal officer in the Judge Advocate 
General's Corps, eventually being promoted to Captain.
  Judge Johnson was first promoted to the bench in 1954, then the 
youngest serving federal judge in the nation. In 1955, he was elevated 
to U.S. Middle District Judge in Montgomery, Alabama, and in 1979 he 
was named to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
  His career on the bench was marked by many pivotal rulings. In 1956, 
in his first major ruling, Judge Johnson joined the majority on a 
three-judge panel in the case concerning the Rosa Parks case. This 
decision brought the end of segregated bus systems. With this ruling, 
Judge Johnson staked his place in the civil rights battle, fighting for 
equality for all Americans during his judicial career.
  Judge Johnson participated in rulings that desegregated all types of 
public places and services, from schools to museums, from airports to 
restaurants from libraries to parks. Even in the face of harsh 
criticism and resistance, Judge Johnson stood firm in his belief in 
equality and justice for all Americans.
  Desegregation was not his only accomplishment in the Civil Rights 
fight. After finding rampant discrimination against blacks registering 
to vote, Judge Johnson issued a ruling that became the formula Congress 
used to ensure voting rights nationwide in the Voting Rights Act of 
1965. Also, Judge Johnson was part of a panel that ordered the Alabama 
State Legislature to draw its district lines by population, not by mere 
geography. This was the first ruling of its time, and helped ensure 
that citizens were not disenfranchised simply because they lived in a 
minority-dominated geographic area.
  It was his style to stand firm on what he believed was right, often 
in the face of intense criticism. Judge Johnson, one of America's most 
distinguished jurists, is an example of dedication for all Americans. 
All of America--but especially Alabama--feels the loss of Judge Frank 
Johnson, and we are thankful for his life of public service.

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