[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 135 (Friday, December 8, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2137-E2138]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO JERRIS LEONARD, A GREAT AMERICAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RALPH M. HALL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 6, 2006

  Mr. HALL. Mr. Speaker, I am honored today to pay tribute to a great 
American, outstanding public servant, and an esteemed colleague and 
good friend, the Honorable Jerris Leonard, whose sudden passing on July 
27, 2006,

[[Page E2138]]

was mourned by his family and countless friends whose lives he touched. 
Jerris's life was devoted to God, family, country, and his fellow man, 
and he leaves a legacy of integrity and service that will long be 
remembered and appreciated.
  Jerris received his undergraduate and law degrees from Marquette 
University, where he was president of the Marquette student body and 
was elected to Alpha Sigma Nu, the National Jesuit Honor Society. 
Following graduation from Marquette University Law School in 1955, 
Jerris began his career in Wisconsin. He was elected to the Wisconsin 
Assembly in 1956, representing the North Shore suburbs of Milwaukee. In 
1960 he was elected to the state Senate and became Senate majority 
leader in 1967. In 1968 he was the Republican nominee for the U.S. 
Senate, but lost to incumbent Senator Gaylord Nelson.
  In 1969 Jerris moved his family to Washington, DC, when he was 
appointed by President Nixon and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as 
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. He served in that capacity 
until 1971, when President Nixon appointed him the first Administrator 
of the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, a position he held 
for the next 2 years. Jerris remained in Washington, where he has been 
actively engaged in the practice of law and advocacy. Most recently, in 
2005, he launched The Leonard Group to focus on legislative and 
lobbying activities. He also served on the Bush-Cheney Transition 
Department of Justice Advisory Committee, which helped the 
Administration find key candidates for the agency.
  In recognition of his considerable accomplishments, Jerris was the 
recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquette University 
Law School in 2000. In 1969 he received the Belle Case Lafollette 
Outstanding Professional Award from the Wisconsin Law Foundation. He is 
the author of numerous articles and was frequently invited to speak to 
groups throughout the United States.
  Jerris was one of the original true conservatives, who championed 
core conservative values throughout his career and through his service 
in various organizations, such as Free Congress. His intellect and 
experience were invaluable to advancing the conservative agenda, and 
his engaging personality and enthusiasm for policy and politics were 
contagious. Jerris was a true statesman who made friends on both sides 
of the political aisle.
  His friendships extended well beyond the realm of politics and 
career, however. He made friends in all walks of life. ``He treated 
everyone the same, and that is what I think made him special,'' said 
his daughter Kate Leonard. On the day he was to be sworn in by 
President Nixon as an assistant attorney general, Jerris gathered his 
children and instructed them that they were going to meet the 
President, but they were to remember that the man who parks the car is 
just as important and just as deserving of respect.
  Jerris was devoted to his wife, Mariellen, to whom he was married for 
52 years, and to his family. He took an active interest in the lives of 
his six children and attended countless sports events and other 
activities in which they were involved. In addition to Mariellen, he is 
survived by his children, Mary Leonard Ralston and husband David, Gib 
Leonard and wife Joni, John Leonard and wife Jeannine, Kathleen (Kate) 
Leonard, Francis Leonard and wife Kelly, and Daniel Leonard and wife 
Kelly, 16 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. He was greatly 
loved.
  Mr. Speaker, many of our colleagues in the House of Representatives 
knew and admired Jerris Leonard. I valued his friendship and advice, as 
did so many others, and we will greatly miss him. It is impossible to 
fully grasp the breadth and depth of a life of someone like Jerris, who 
gave every project or responsibility his very best effort and who lived 
his life with boundless enthusiasm and compassion. He was a role model 
and mentor to so many, and he leaves a powerful legacy that will last 
for generations to come. As we adjourn today, let us do so in tribute 
to this great American, dedicated public servant, and truly great man--
Jerris Leonard.

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