[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10746-S10747]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ALLEN (for himself and Mr. Warner):
  S. 4045. A bill to designate the United States courthouse located at 
the intersections of Broad Street, Seventh Street, Grace Street, and 
Eighth Street in Richmond, Virginia, as the ``Spottswood W. Robinson 
III and Robert Merhige Jr. Courthouse''; to the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. WARNER. I rise today to join my colleague from Virginia, Senator 
Allen, in offering a bill to name the new Richmond Courthouse for two 
distinguished jurists and sons of Virginia.

[[Page S10747]]

We are privileged in the Commonwealth to have a long history, beginning 
with Jamestown as the first permanent English settlement on the 
American Continent. As a young republic, the College of William and 
Mary was selected as a site for the Nation's first law school.
  The two men to be honored in the naming of the new U.S. Courthouse in 
Richmond were lawyers who throughout their careers adhered to the 
principle of ``equal justice under law.''
  Spottswood William Robinson, III was born in Richmond, VA on July 26, 
1916. He attended Virginia Union University and then attended Howard 
University School of Law, graduating first in his class in 1939 and 
serving as a member of the faculty unti1 1947.
  Judge Robinson was one of the core attorneys of the NAACP Legal 
Defense and Educational Fund from 1948 to 1960, achieving national 
prominence in the legal community with his representation of the 
Virginia plaintiffs in the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board 
of Education. Brown outlawed public school segregation declaring 
``separate but equal'' schools unconstitutional.
  In 1964, Judge Robinson became the first African-American to be 
appointed to the United States District Court for the District of 
Columbia. In 1966, President Johnson appointed Judge Robinson the first 
African-American to the United States Court of Appeals for the District 
of Columbia Circuit. On May 7, 1981, Judge Robinson became the first 
African American to serve as Chief Judge of the District of Columbia 
Circuit.
  Judge Merhige was born in New York in 1919 and he attended college at 
High Point College in North Carolina. He earned his law degree from the 
T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond, from which 
he graduated at the top of his class in 1942.
  From 1942 to 1945, Judge Merhige served in the United States Air 
Force and practiced law in Richmond from 1945 to 1967, establishing 
himself as a formidable trial lawyer representing criminal defendants 
as well as dozens of insurance companies.
  On August 30, 1967, Judge Merhige was appointed U.S. District Court 
Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division by 
President Lyndon B. Johnson serving as a Federal judge unti1 1998. In 
1972, Judge Merhige ordered the desegregation of dozens of Virginia 
school districts. He considered himself to be a ``strict 
constructionist'' who went by the law as spelled out in precedents by 
the higher courts. In 1970, he ordered the University of Virginia to 
admit women. As evidence of Judge Merhige's ground breaking decisions, 
he was given 24-hour protection by Federal marshals due to repeated 
threats of violence against him and his family. His courage in the face 
of significant opposition of the times is a testimony to his dedication 
to the rule of law.
  Senator Allen and I carefully took this responsibility in naming the 
U.S. Federal. Courthouse in Richmond. We worked on it for several years 
and consulted the Virginia Bar Association and sought the views of the 
bench and bar. The Virginia Congressional delegation, the Virginia Bar 
Association, the Mayor of Richmond, and many others decided that the 
best way to honor both men was to have them equally share the honor of 
having the courthouse so named. I attach a letter from the former 
Virginia Governor, the current Mayor of Richmond, L. Douglas Wilder. I 
value greatly the views of a friend and fellow public servant and one 
who has joined me on many issues to benefit the people of Virginia.
  I thank the Senate for the consideration of this bill and look 
forward to working with my colleagues seeking its passage.

                                             City of Richmond,

                                 Richmond, VA, September 29, 2006.
     Senator John Warner
     225 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
     Senator George Allen,
     204 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senators Warner and Allen: On behalf of the City of 
     Richmond, please accept this brief note in support of your 
     collective decision to name the new U.S. District Court in 
     Richmond for ``Spotswood W. Robinson III and Robert Merhige, 
     Jr.'' Both men played a significant role in Virginia's 
     history and are remembered as ``giants'' within Richmond's 
     legal community.
           Sincerely,
                                                L. Douglas Wilder,
                                                            Mayor.

  Mr. ALLEN. Mr. President, I am pleased to join with my colleague the 
Senior Senator from Virginia John Warner in introducing legislation to 
name the new Federal courthouse in Richmond, VA for two great men and 
leaders of the civil rights movement, Spottswood W. Robinson III and 
Robert Merhige, Jr.
  Judge Spottswood Robinson was a brilliant champion of civil rights 
for all Americans. As a student at Howard Law School, Judge Spottswood 
W. Robinson III earned the highest GPA ever achieved at the law school. 
Following law school, he returned to Richmond, VA to establish a law 
firm with another pioneer of civil rights, Oliver W. Hill. Through the 
years he was involved in many important civil rights cases in State and 
Federal courts, but it was his vital role in the seminal case of Brown 
v. Board of Education that placed Judge Robinson into legal history. 
Judge Robinson is widely recognized as the architect of the legal 
strategies that led to success in intergrading the nations public 
schools.
  Judge Robinson left the private practice of law in 1960 to become 
Dean of the Howard Law School. In October 1963, President Kennedy 
nominated him to become a District Court Judge for the District of 
Columbia. Subsequently, Judge Robinson became the first African-
American to serve as a Judge on the Court of Appeals for the District 
of Columbia and in 1981 became the Chief Judge for the Court. Upon 
retiring from the Court in 1992, Judge Robinson returned to his home in 
Richmond and continued to be an active member of the community until 
his passing in 1998.
  The other fine jurist who the new courthouse in Richmond will be 
named is another hero of the civil rights movement, Judge Robert R. 
Merhige, Jr. Judge Merhige served this country for 31 years on the 
bench and as a member of the United States Army Air Force as a B-17 
bombardier. Born in 1919, Judge Merhige attended the T.C. Williams 
School of Law at the University of Richmond, from which he graduated at 
the top of his class in 1942. Over the next 21 years, Judge Merhige 
tried hundreds of both criminal and civil cases in both State and 
Federal court. He served as President of the Richmond Bar Association 
from 1963 to 1964.
  In 1967, President Lyndon Johnson appointed Judge Merhige to be a 
United States District Judge. Respected and admired by lawyers from 
coast to coast, Judge Merhige became known for his integrity and 
intellect. Despite the personal hardship placed on both himself and his 
family from those who disagreed with his rulings to enforce civil 
rights law, Judge Merhige continued to uphold the law and follow the 
constitution in the face of grave threats.
  In deciding whom to name this courthouse after, I have taken great 
care to listen to all Virginians after securing funds for this 
impressive courthouse for downtown Richmond and its revitalization. I 
have worked with the Virginia Congressional delegation, the 
distinguished Mayor of Richmond, L. Douglas Wilder, State Senator 
Benjamin Lambert, the Virginia Bar Association, the Richmond Bar 
Association, and many others.
  I am honored to join with my colleague Senator Warner in ensuring 
that when people walk by the new Federal courthouse, they are reminded 
of these two distinguished jurists who helped change the face of 
society for the better with equal justice for all.
                                 ______