[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 64 (Friday, May 17, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S4534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO HENRY WOODS

 Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to the life 
of Henry Woods, a great scholar and beloved Federal judge in Arkansas. 
Judge Woods passed away unexpectedly in March, and I wish to take a 
moment today to honor his many achievements and express sorrow for his 
loss. There is no question but that his legal expertise, unique 
perspective and commanding presence will be sorely missed by so many in 
my home State.
  Henry Woods was born on March 17, 1918, in Abbeville, MS. He attended 
the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where he received a 
bachelor's degree in 1938 and a law degree in 1940. Following his 
formal education, Judge Woods served in a variety of positions, 
including as a special agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a 
trial attorney in Texarkana and Little Rock and as coordinator for the 
successful gubernatorial campaigns of both Sid McMath and Dale Bumpers. 
Henry was also past president of the Arkansas Bar Association and 
Arkansas Trial Association. At 62, he was nominated U.S. District 
Judge, Eastern District of Arkansas, by President Carter and began a 
new chapter in his professional life while most of his peers were 
planning for retirement.
  Like so many Arkansans who had the good fortune to know Judge Woods, 
I will always remember him for his intellect and commitment to social 
justice. Whether Judge Woods was in the courtroom or the classroom, he 
never wavered in his passion for fairness and equality, even when he 
endorsed positions he knew would ignite strong criticism. As long as 
Judge Woods believed what he did was right, he was prepared to take the 
heat. This was true when he spoke loudly and openly against Gov. Orval 
Faubus' use of the National Guard at Central High and later when he 
issued several controversial court rulings in his role as presiding 
Judge in the Pulaski County school desegregation case.
  As I have reflected on Judge Woods' prolific life, I am comforted by 
the fact that his towering legacy and impassioned spirit will live on 
through the countless individuals he inspired. Death has ended Henry 
Woods' life, but it hasn't extinguished his invaluable contribution to 
public service in Arkansas. I and others who were raised to believe 
that serving in public office is a high and noble calling owe a deep 
debt of gratitude to Judge Woods and others from his generation. I, for 
one, have been deeply moved by his life and will always be mindful of 
the example and high standard he set.

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