[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 67 (Thursday, May 25, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E867-E868]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING JUDGE VEL PHILLIPS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. THOMAS M. BARRETT

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 25, 2000

  Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to honor Judge 
Vel Phillips, who was recognized on May 14, 2000, with an honorary 
Doctor of Laws from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
  Vel Phillips has been my friend for many years and a friend to the 
people of Wisconsin for many years more. I first developed my 
admiration for Vel Phillips as a young paperboy, reading about her work 
in public office. I assumed two things about her: first, that she must 
be very important, and second, that she must be very old. I was 
obviously wrong about her age, because thirty years later, she is as 
active and vibrant a person as any I know. In fact, she's forever 
young.
  The record of barriers she broke and accomplishments she attained is 
too long to list in full, but I am pleased to offer a few examples. Vel 
was the first African American woman to earn a law degree at the 
University of Wisconsin Law School. She was the first woman and the 
first African American elected to serve on Milwaukee's Common Council, 
and her incisive mind, great personal charm and deep sense of devotion 
to the needs of her constituents made her an effective and respected 
representative. After 16 years on the Council, Vel was appointed to 
Milwaukee

[[Page E868]]

County's Children's Court, and became the first woman and the first 
African-American to serve as a Wisconsin judge. In 1978, she ran a 
successful campaign for Wisconsin Secretary of State and became the 
first African American to be elected to a statewide, constitutional 
office.
  The University of Wisconsin honored Judge Phillips' unparalleled 
contributions to our community and to Wisconsin history on May 14, 
2000, by bestowing on her an honorary Doctorate of Laws. On May 28th, 
her friends and admirers will gather at the Community Brainstorming 
Conference in Milwaukee to congratulate Vel. I join them in commending 
Judge Vel Phillips on this latest distinction, and I celebrate her 
years of dedicated service to the people of Wisconsin.

                          ____________________