[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 156 (Tuesday, November 13, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H8056-H8057]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JAMES L. WATSON UNITED STATES COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE BUILDING
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 2841) to designate the building located at 1 Federal
Plaza in New York, New York, as the ``James L. Watson United States
Court of International Trade Building.''
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 2841
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.
The building located at 1 Federal Plaza in New York, New
York, shall be known and designated as the ``James L. Watson
United States Court of International Trade Building''.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES.
Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper,
or other record of the United States to the building referred
to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to the
``James L. Watson United States Court of International Trade
Building''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 2841 designates the building located at 1 Federal
Plaza in New York as the ``James L. Watson United States Court of
International Trade Building.'' I thank the ranking member and senior
member of the Committee on Ways and Means, the gentleman from New York
(Mr. Rangel), for bringing this legislation to the attention of the
committee and urging that we move on it in an expeditious fashion.
Judge Watson was born in Harlem, New York. He was the son of parents
that had both been born in Jamaica, and his father served as a
municipal court judge for 18 years. Judge Watson served with the
Buffalo Soldiers in the 371st Infantry Regiment, 92nd Division, in
World War II. He was wounded in Italy and returned to the United States
decorated with a Purple Heart and the Infantry Combat Badge.
After returning from the war, he graduated from New York University
in 1947 and Brooklyn Law School in 1951. Judge Watson was elected to
the New York State Senate in 1954. While serving in the State Senate,
in 1962 President John Kennedy chose him to accompany Vice President
Johnson to the Jamaican Independence celebration. In 1963, Judge Watson
was elected to the New York City Civil Court.
He served on the City Civil Court until President Johnson appointed
him to what was known as the United States Customs Court and that is
now known as the United States Court of International Trade in 1966.
The nine members of the United States Customs Court could be assigned
to sit in any Federal District Court in the Nation.
Because of his previous experience in the City Civil Court, in his
first year on the Federal bench, Judge Watson was assigned to hear
cases in California, Oregon, Washington, Atlanta, Tampa, Houston, El
Paso, San Antonio and Dallas on civil and criminal matters. He was the
first African American to sit on the Federal bench in the deep South.
Judge Watson worked to help modernize his court under the Customs
Court Act of 1970. As chairman of the Court's Rules and Practices
Committee, he reworked the rules and facilitated the modernization of
the court with the introduction of computers. He took senior status in
1991. He passed away in Harlem earlier this year.
Madam Speaker, Judge Watson was a dedicated Federal judge and an
exemplary public servant. This action is fitting to designate the Court
of International Trade Building in his honor. I support the bill and
urge my colleagues to do the same.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PASCRELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I am in strong support of H.R. 2841, sponsored by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel). Madam Speaker, what a great
feeling to start out in the judge's chambers as a law clerk, and be
able to come to the floor of the House of Representatives to introduce
legislation that would be a fitting response, a fitting response to
years of service and dedication.
Judge Watson served on the United States Court of International
Trade. It was a lifetime appointment by President Lyndon Johnson. He
was a former New York State Senator and a civil court judge. His career
spanned 36 years, and he set a record of 70 appearances serving as a
visiting judge in districts around this great Nation.
On several occasions, he was the first African American judge to hold
court in parts of the deep South, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Compassion and evenhandedness are the best mirror when one holds it up
to his decisions and written documents which he placed into the record.
In World War II, yes, he served as an infantryman with the legendary
black 92nd Buffalo Soldiers Division. What a legacy they left this
great democracy.
He was seriously wounded in combat in Italy and received the Purple
Heart, the Battle Star, the Combat Infantry Badge and a U.S. Army
commendation. He attended New York University and Brooklyn Law School.
Upon graduation, he established a private practice with retired Judge
Bruce Wright; Lisle Carter, former Assistant Secretary of the
Department of Health and Human Services; and Jacob Smith.
This is a very special dedication today. In March 1966, President
Johnson named Judge Watson to the United States Customs Court, which
was later renamed the Court of International Trade. During his year on
the International Court, Judge Watson helped develop a modern court
system, rewrote many of the court's rules, and introduced computers
into the court.
He was noted for a judicial style that was very fair and very
balanced. His personal ability to settle many civil cases out of court
helped avoid costly expenses and the unpredictability of an often-long
trial. He was a lifelong resident of Harlem, a sought-after public
speaker, and an insightful adviser to all local politicians. His family
is well known and very active in civic affairs. His cousins include
Bruce Llewellyn, chairman of Coca-Cola; Secretary of State Colin
Powell; and Dorothy Llewellyn Cropper, a New York Supreme Court
Justice.
His life was full of success, friendship, his devoted family and his
loving wife. It is fitting and proper to honor the distinguished Judge
Watson with this designation.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PASCRELL. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel).
Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, this is a great privilege and honor for
me, and one that I have never really enjoyed before, to talk about a
friend that has passed away and at the same time to talk about trying
to leave something that is made out of steel and concrete as a memory
for him.
This is difficult because Judge Watson was anything but a monument.
He
[[Page H8057]]
was just a living example of what a great country that we live in. It
is true, as the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell)
said, he came from a family that is well known, a family of hard
workers and high achievers. But still that same family, as the
gentleman pointed out, really never left the Harlem community. They
were always there as mentors for those who wanted to help themselves.
Judge Watson served as a guide and a symbol of what can happen in
this great country when people try to make something out of their
lives. So whether he was a lawyer or whether he was a judge, he was
always somebody that we just called plain old ``Skiz.''
It is remarkable how his family was able to visit with him, his
daughter Chris and other daughter Karen, while he was on his death bed.
I have never in my life heard of anyone that was leaving that was so
concerned about his friends and family that he mapped out everything
that he would like to see happen before he left us, and had a chance to
tell each and every one how much he loved them.
Madam Speaker, I just think that it is fitting that all of the judges
have come together to request that this building that they have worked
in, the International Trade Court, be named after one of them because
he was representative of all of their feelings. Even though he did
retire in name only, on the complex cases he was called in, and he
welcomed the opportunity to continue to serve as he served in combat
and was wounded and received the Purple Heart for his World War II
services.
If there was any award that we could possibly give a civilian that
loved his country and his community until literally the day that he
died, then Skiz, or Judge Watson, would be the person.
It is a privilege for me from the community, from the City and State
of New York, to be the sponsor of this legislation. Its passage would
mean that generations to follow will know who Skiz was and what he
meant to our great country.
Mr. PASCRELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) for
being here, because this is a proposal that is presented with heartfelt
knowledge of a great American.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1630
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I again thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel)
for bringing this matter to our attention. I thank the chairman of the
full committee, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), and the
distinguished ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr.
Oberstar), as well as my good friend, the gentleman from New Jersey
(Mr. Pascrell).
I urge all Members to support this legislation.
Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, H.R. 2841 is a bill to designate the
court of international trade in New York City in honor of Judge James
L. Watson. Judge Watson, a native New Yorker born in Harlem in 1922,
lived and worked his entire life in New York. He served in the New York
State Senate and as a Civil Court Judge before his appointment by
President Johnson to the federal bench in 1966.
During World War II, he served in the legendary Buffalo Soldiers
Division. He was awarded the Purple Heart, the Battle Star, the Combat
Infantry Badge, and a U.S. Army commendation. After the war, he began
private practice and became actively involved in local politics. In
1963, he was appointed to the Civil Court of New York and hired our
Colleague Charlie Rangel as one of his staff attorneys. During his
years on the Court of International Trade, he modernized the court
system and played a major role in rewriting the court's rules. He was
instrumental in introducing computers into judicial activity .
Judge Watson was the Nation's most senior African-American federal
judge. He enjoyed a national reputation for handling our fair
sentences. He was a sought-after public speaker, served on the Board of
Visitors of Fordham University, and on the board of the Harlem YMCA.
His colleagues, politicians, and even other lawyers, sought his wise
advice and safe counsel. Judge Watson's life serves as a model of
diligence, hard work, and fairness.
It is a well-deserved honor to designate the very building in which
Judge Watson served with distinction for over three decades as the
``James L. Watson United States Court of International Trade
Building.''
I urge all Members to support this bill.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). 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. 2841.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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