[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 102 (Wednesday, September 6, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H7234-H7235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          JUDGE ROBERT BERNARD WATTS, SR. POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4448) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 3500 Dolfield Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland, as the 
``Judge Robert Bernard Watts, Sr. Post Office Building.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4448

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

     SECTION 1. JUDGE ROBERT BERNARD WATTS, SR. POST OFFICE 
                   BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 3500 Dolfield Avenue in Baltimore, 
     Maryland, shall be known and designated as the ``Judge Robert 
     Bernard Watts, Sr. Post Office Building''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Judge Robert Bernard Watts, Sr. Post 
     Office Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Maryland (Mrs. Morella) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella).


                             General Leave

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on H.R. 4448.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to bring before the House H.R. 4448, 
legislation that was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Cummings). This bill was introduced on May 15 of this 
year and is supported by all Members of the House delegation from the 
State of Maryland, and I am honored to be a cosponsor.

                              {time}  1600

  This legislation designates the United States Post Office located at 
3500 Dolfield Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland, as the ``Judge Robert 
Bernard Watts, Sr. Post Office.''
  Judge Watts graduated with honors from Morgan State College in 1943. 
He joined the Army and served until 1945. After this service, he earned 
a law degree from the University of Maryland in 1948.
  Judge Watts was deeply involved with the civil rights movement and 
worked closely with the NAACP. He was instrumental in desegregating 
numerous theaters, restaurants, department stores, hotels, and the 
Gwynn Oak Amusement Park. Judge Robert Bernard Watts was the first 
African American to be appointed full time to the bench of the 
Municipal Court of Baltimore City and was the first judge in Maryland 
to open hundreds of adoption records.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support H.R. 4448 in honor of a 
gentleman, a gentleman who has made a difference in the lives of his 
community and his State.
  I also want to congratulate the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Cummings) for taking time to introduce this bill and for bringing the 
good works of Judge Watts to the attention of our colleagues.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Maryland 
(Mrs. Morella), the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh), and the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) the ranking member of the 
Subcommittee on Postal Service, for their support in bringing this bill 
to the floor.
  I believe that persons who have made meaningful contributions to 
society should be recognized. The naming of a postal building in one's 
honor is truly a salute to the accomplishments and public service of an 
individual.
  H.R. 4448 designates the United States Postal Building located at 
3500 Dolfield Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland, as the ``Judge Robert 
Bernard Watts, Sr. Post Office Building.''
  I am pleased to be able to speak today about Judge Robert Bernard 
Watts, Sr. Judge Watts was born in west Baltimore, was at the center of 
the civil rights movement in the State of Maryland. He began his civil 
rights work as chairman of the NAACP Youth Chapter at Morgan State 
University. His chapter, with 200 members, was the largest in the 
country at that time. Because of his outstanding work, the NAACP sent 
him to his first national convention in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1942, 
where he met the late Justice Thurgood Marshall with whom he worked for 
15 years on various civil rights cases.
  He was the first African American to be appointed full time to the 
bench of the Municipal Court of Baltimore City. He then served in the 
Army until 1945. He earned a law degree from the University of 
Maryland, my alma mater,

[[Page H7235]]

in 1949, where he was the editor of the Maryland Law Review, which is a 
very high honor.
  Also in 1949, he formed the first major African American law firm in 
Baltimore. He was the first African American appointed to the Municipal 
Court in Maryland. In 1968 he was appointed by Governor Spiro Agnew to 
the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City.
  As a judge, Watts was instrumental in desegregating numerous 
theaters, restaurants, department stores, hotels, and the Gwynn Oak 
Amusement Park. He was the first judge in Maryland to open hundreds of 
adoption records, reuniting numerous families. Judge Watts was one of 
the few judges who volunteered to be a part of our family court, the 
court that dealt with various disputes with regard to family matters, 
divorces, adoptions, and child support.
  I had an opportunity, many opportunities, to go before him. And quite 
often he would tell us that the reason why he liked doing this kind of 
work was because he wanted to bring families together and have them see 
the bigger picture. He cared so much about children he wanted to make 
sure that fathers understood that they needed to be a part of their 
children's lives.
  Moreover, Judge Robert Watts not only served justly and fairly in the 
courtroom but served in numerous organizations in the community. At one 
point in his career he served on 14 boards at the same time, among them 
Bon Secours Hospital, which is located in the seventh Congressional 
District. He chaired three gubernatorial task forces regarding family 
law, AIDS, and prison overcrowding and served the community as a member 
of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
  He died October 8, 1998.
  He was such a wonderful, wonderful husband to his wife Jacqueline. He 
was married to her for over 50 years.
  And so we take this moment to salute him for all that he has done to 
make life better for so many people.
  One great author said that, when speaking of a great person, he said 
he brought life to life. It is clear that Judge Watts did that.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, again I thank the gentleman from Maryland 
(Mr. Cummings) for introducing this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 5 minutes to my 
distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin).
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, first let me thank my friends, the gentleman 
from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) and the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. 
Morella), for bringing forward this legislation that honors Judge 
Watts.
  I can think of no person more appropriate to be honored than Judge 
Watts. He was my friend. He was my mentor. As my colleagues have 
pointed out, yes, he was responsible for breaking many barriers. He was 
an outstanding jurist. He was a colleague of my father on the Supreme 
Bench of Baltimore City and a close friend of my father and our family.
  I remember sharing many dinners together with Judge Watts and his 
family. He was an extraordinary individual. But I think his greatest 
accomplishment was the way that Judge Watts was able to bring 
communities and people together. He could mediate problems in a 
neighborhood. He could mediate problems in a city. He could mediate 
problems in our State. He was called upon by governors, by legislators, 
by jurists, by attorneys to help bring his wisdom to improve our 
community. And as the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) pointed 
out, he never turned down a request, serving on 14 boards at one time.
  Let me just share with my colleagues one example of one board that he 
agreed to serve on. He served with me as a trustee at St. Mary's 
College in St. Mary's City, Maryland, not exactly close to his hometown 
of Baltimore. It was about a 2-hour commute in order to attend the 
trustees meetings.
  Now, Judge Watts was well known in Baltimore, but he was willing to 
take his knowledge and expertise and use it to help a small liberal 
arts college in a rural part of our State.
  He never missed a meeting that I can remember. He was always an 
active participant. We had a very sensitive issue that, quite frankly, 
I do not think anyone but Judge Watts could have resolved.
  St. Mary's College is one of the finest public liberal arts colleges 
in this Nation. And this is a tribute also to Judge Watts' talent, 
leadership, and willingness to get involved in community activities.
  Mr. Speaker, he spent his life serving his community. I am proud that 
today we are going to be able to honor his community by the naming of 
this facility.
  I congratulate all involved.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) 
for his comments. As he was speaking, I could not help but remember the 
many times that Judge Watts sat in the meetings of blacks and Jews, we 
called them Blews, and tried to make sure that African-Americans and 
Jewish people worked together to resolve problems. He was a man who 
constantly looked for what people had in common, as opposed to their 
differences; and he fully understood that if we concentrated on the 
things we have in common, we can accomplish so very, very much.
  So we take this moment not only to salute Judge Watts, but we also 
salute Mrs. Watts, Jacqueline Watts; his five children Robert, Rodney, 
Jacqueline, Janelle, and Bobbett; and we take this moment to name this 
post office after him so that, as I have said so many, many times, so 
that when children look at the post office and look at the name up 
there, they can say, Well, who was Judge Watts? And it may be many, 
many years from now and somebody will be able to say, Well, he was a 
great jurist, he was a great great humanitarian and, in the words of 
the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), he was a consensus builder 
and one who brought people together.
  I do not think we can give any greater tribute to any person greater 
than the one we have given here today. I urge passage of this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we can see there is unanimity among the Maryland 
delegation on behalf of the Nation and the service of Judge Robert 
Bernard Watts, Sr. So I urge passage of this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kuykendall). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4448.
  The question was taken.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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