[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 169 (Friday, December 7, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12685-S12686]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SPECTER (for himself and Mr. Santorum):
  S. 1790. A bill to designate the lobby of the James A. Byrne United 
States Courthouse located at 601 Market Street in Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania, as the ``Edward R. Becker Lobby''; to the Committee on 
Environmental and Public Works.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, today, I am introducing legislation on 
behalf of Senator Rick Santorum and myself to name the newly remodeled 
lobby of the United States Courthouse at Sixth and Market Streets, 
Philadelphia, PA, in honor of Chief Judge Edward R. Becker of the 
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
  It would be impossible to find a Federal jurist in the United States 
more deserving of recognition than Chief Judge Becker. I say that from 
my intimate knowledge of Ed Becker for more

[[Page S12686]]

than fifty years, since we first rode the elevated train from Northeast 
Philadelphia to the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in 
September of 1950 when he was a freshman and I was a senior. We studied 
together, debated together, socialized together, and married beautiful 
young women, Flora Lyman and Joan Levy, who sat next to each other at 
Olney High School.
  Ed was an honors student at Penn where he was elected to Phi Beta 
Kappa and similarly an outstanding student at the Yale Law School, 
where our law school studies overlapped for two years with Ed 
graduating in 1957. For thirteen years, he was a distinguished 
Philadelphia lawyer in partnership with his father, Herman Becker, and 
his brother-in-law, Lewis Fryman. During his legal career he was active 
in Republican politics. It is, of course, an open secret that 
nomination to the Federal Bench has a political aspect as well as the 
requirement for legal skills. After all, the President makes the 
appointments with some consideration for the recommendations of United 
States Senators. Ed Becker is an unusual example of qualifying for a 
seat on the United States District Court, where he was appointed in 
1970, for being a Republican loyalist and political activist as well as 
an astute, accomplished lawyer. Most are appointed with only one of 
those two credentials. In addition to being counsel to the Republican 
City Committee, Ed took on candidacies for State Senate and City 
Council in Philadelphia which are kamikaze ventures except in rare and 
extraordinary circumstances.
  Judge Becker served on the United States District Court for the 
Eastern District of Pennsylvania from December 1970 until January 1982 
when he was elevated to the United States District court for the Third 
Circuit. On the Federal Bench, Ed's legal scholarship has been prolific 
and prodigious. His 958 opinions cover the cutting edge of evolving 
jurisprudential issues. He once wrote an opinion in rhyme. His opinion 
in the Japanese Electronics Case was more than 500 pages long replete 
with extensive footnote documentation, as is his practice. He was 
recently honored by the University of Pennsylvania Law Review in May 
2001 which details his extraordinary judicial service. He is the fifth 
most senior active Federal judge in the United States.
  To name the Federal Courthouse Lobby for Chief Judge Becker would be 
a reciprocal honor. It would be an honor to Judge Becker. It would also 
be an honor to the Federal Courthouse Lobby.

                          ____________________