[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 83 (Tuesday, June 27, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H5201-H5202]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               ADRIAN A. SPEARS JUDICIAL TRAINING CENTER

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1959) to designate the Federal building located at 743 East 
Durango Boulevard in San Antonio, Texas, as the ``Adrian A. Spears 
Judicial Training Center,'' as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1959

       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 located at 643 East Durango Boulevard 
     in San Antonio, Texas, shall be known and designated as the 
     ``Adrian A. Spears Judicial Training Center''.

     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 ``Adrian A. Spears Judicial Training Center''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia 
(Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1959, as amended, designates the Federal building 
located at 643 East Durango Boulevard in San Antonio, Texas as the 
``Adrian A. Spears Judicial Training Center.''
  Adrian Spears was born in Darlington, South Carolina, on July 8, 
1910. He attended local schools, graduated from the University of North 
Carolina in 1929, and the South Carolina School of Law in 1934. After 
practicing law in South Carolina for 2 years, he moved to San Antonio 
in 1937 and practiced law there until his appointment by President 
Kennedy to the Federal bench in 1961.
  The Senate confirmed his appointment in 1962, the same year that he 
became chief judge, a position that he held until 1979. He was the 
longest-serving chief judge and will hold that distinction 
indefinitely, since current law prohibits a judge from serving as chief 
judge for longer than 7 years. He assumed senior status in 1979 and 
retired from the Federal bench in 1982, when he became vice president 
of an oil company, a position that he held until his death in 1991.
  Judge Spears was a member in good standing of the Texas State bar, a 
member of the Judicial Conference Committee on the Administration of 
Criminal Law, served on the Federal Judicial Center Board, and was the 
recipient of the Rosewood Gavel Award, St. Mary's School of Law.
  This is a fitting honor to a dedicated public servant. I support this 
bill, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 1959, a bill to designate the Judicial 
Training Center in San Antonio, Texas, in honor of Judge Adrian A. 
Spears.
  President John Kennedy appointed Judge Spears to the Federal bench in 
1961. Judge Spears distinguished himself for 22 years as the United 
States District Judge in the Western District of Texas; and for 17 of 
those years Judge Spears served as the Chief Judge. He was also a 
member of the Emergency Court of Appeals, the Judicial Conference of 
the United States Commission on Administration Justice, president of 
the 5th Circuit District Judges Association, and president of the San 
Antonio Bar Association.
  Judge Spears was born in South Carolina and attended undergraduate 
school and law school at the University of North Carolina. In 1937 he 
moved to San Antonio and became an integral part of the community.
  He was respected by his colleagues and admired for his dedication and 
diligence in attending to the needs of the Federal courts in the 5th 
circuit. In 1998 the San Antonio Bar Association passed a resolution to 
petition the local elected Federal officials to sponsor suitable 
legislation to name a facility in his honor. It is most fitting and 
proper to honor Judge Spears with this designation, and I strongly urge 
support for H.R. 1959.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional requests for time, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez).
  Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me 
this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from the District 
of Columbia (Ms. Norton), as well as members of the House Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Economic 
Development, Public Buildings, Hazardous Materials and Pipeline 
Transportation, and the entire Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure for the action on this legislation.
  This bill, which I introduced in May of last year, would designate 
the Federal Judicial Training Center located at 643 East Durango 
Boulevard in San Antonio, Texas, as the Adrian A. Spears Judicial 
Training Center.
  Judge Spears was the epitome of an outstanding and truly dedicated 
United States district judge. As Chief Judge of the Western District of 
Texas, Judge Spears' career was highlighted by a commitment to ensuring 
fairness and justice in the courtrooms under his jurisdiction. To many 
of those who practiced in his courtroom, Judge Spears will forever be 
remembered for his desire to maintain a standard of professionalism 
second to none. He taught all of us that demanding our best effort in 
behalf of our individual client was the surest way of assuring justice 
for all, and he led by example. He felt he needed to take the extra 
steps to ensure that he was being fair, not only to the Government, but 
also to the defendant.
  To that extent, he was meticulous about his preparation; and he paid 
particular attention to detail. In fact, I have heard that Judge 
Spears' secretary would often bring three or four briefcases filled 
with pretrial work for the next day's caseload for Judge Spears to 
review. Judge Spears would go through each document in the file,

[[Page H5202]]

reading everything, including probation reports, so that he would not 
have to rely solely on the attorneys' oral reports in open court.
  Adrian Anthony Spears was born on July 8, 1910, in Darlington, South 
Carolina. After graduating from the University of North Carolina in 
1929 and South Carolina Law School in 1934, he practiced law in 
Darlington until 1936. In 1937, Adrian Spears moved to San Antonio 
where he continued in private practice until President John F. Kennedy 
appointed him United States District Judge in 1961. It was an 
opportunity which came as the result of a 1961 congressional act 
creating a third judgeship for the Western District of Texas. Judge 
Spears became Chief Judge of the Western District in 1962 and served in 
that capacity until 1979, a record 17 years.
  In addition to serving as U.S. District Judge for a total of 22 
years, Judge Spears was also a member of the Board of Directors of the 
Federal Judicial Center, the temporary Emergency Court of Appeals, the 
Judicial Conference of the United States Mission on the Administration 
of Criminal Law, the Committee to Consider Standards for Admission to 
Practice in Federal Courts, and a member of the faculty of the Seminar 
for Newly Appointed Judges.
  From 1959 to 1960, Judge Spears also served as president of the San 
Antonio Bar Association. Upon his retirement from Federal judicial 
service on December 31, 1982, Judge Spears joined the oil company Tetco 
as the vice president and served there in that capacity until his death 
on May 9, 1991.
  While his judicial accomplishments alone are noteworthy, it is also 
his tireless efforts and commitment to improving and expanding the 
facilities of the Federal court system in San Antonio that merits this 
proper and long overdue recognition of Judge Spears' contributions to 
San Antonio. In fact, it was Judge Spears' guidance that the United 
States Pavilion, now the John H. Wood, Jr. United States Courthouse, 
was acquired and made part of the Federal Judicial Complex in San 
Antonio after Hemisfair in 1968.
  Mr. Speaker, this is truly a fitting honor to bestow upon Judge 
Adrian Anthony Spears.
  Finally, I want to take this opportunity to recognize his family, 
particularly his sons Monroe and Jimmy and his daughters, Sally and 
Carol. Without great elaboration I do need to tell my colleagues that 
two of his children are lawyers, one of his granddaughters is presently 
in law school, but many of his nephews and great nephews have 
distinguished themselves both as lawyers in the community and as 
jurists.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge Congress to pass H.R. 1959, and I would like to 
offer special thanks to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sandlin), my 
fellow Texan, for his assistance and that of his staff.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez).
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from the 
District of Columbia for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1959, which would rename a 
part of the San Antonio Federal Building as the Adrian A. Spears 
Judicial Training Center. Judge Spears was an outstanding and dedicated 
U.S. district judge. Judge Spears holds the record as the longest 
serving chief judge for the western district of Texas. He moved to San 
Antonio in the years before World War II and lived there until his 
death in 1991. He was appointed by President Kennedy and confirmed by 
the Senate in 1962; and he remained on the bench until 1979, after 
which he assumed senior status until 1982. Judge Spears was a highly 
respected jurist who is worthy of this permanent honor.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity also to thank the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez) for his efforts on this particular 
piece of legislation, and I would indicate that Judge Spears should be 
honored for his tireless efforts for this country and the work that he 
accomplished. I encourage all of my colleagues to support the 
legislation as we move forward in memorializing Judge Spears.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1959, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to 
designate the Federal building located at 643 East Durango Boulevard in 
San Antonio, Texas, as the `Adrian A. Spears Judicial Training 
Center'.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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