[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 13, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H2457-H2458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SCOTT REED FEDERAL BUILDING AND UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE
Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 478) to designate the Federal building and United States
courthouse located at 101 Barr Street in Lexington, Kentucky, as the
``Scott Reed Federal Building and United States Courthouse''.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 478
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.
The Federal building and United States courthouse located
at 101 Barr Street in Lexington, Kentucky, shall be known and
designated as the ``Scott Reed Federal Building and United
States Courthouse''.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES.
Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper,
or other record of the United States to the Federal building
and United States courthouse referred to in section 1 shall
be deemed to be a reference to the ``Scott Reed Federal
Building and United States Courthouse''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Iowa (Mr. Boswell) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Iowa.
General Leave
Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 478.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Iowa?
There was no objection.
Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I would yield myself such time as I may
consume and will be yielding to the gentleman from Kentucky very
shortly.
I would appreciate very much, if this has been designated, to be
recognized, and would recognize the gentleman from Missouri.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, it is great that I got the opportunity today to work
with the gentleman from Iowa. We have worked on several things, and I
think this is a very fitting bill.
H.R. 478 designates the Federal building and the United States
courthouse located at 101 Barr Street in Lexington, Kentucky as the
Scott Reed Federal Building and United States Courthouse. The bill
recognizes Judge Reed's service to the legal profession.
Judge Scott Reed graduated from the University of Kentucky College of
Law where he received many honors. Judge Reed's career as a jurist
began in 1964, when he became Fayette Circuit Court judge. Five years
later, he was elected to the Kentucky Court of Appeals, where he sat
for over 7 years. During the mid 1970s, Judge Reed played an
instrumental role in the recognition of Kentucky's judicial system,
which created the Kentucky Supreme Court. Judge Reed was elected to
serve as the first Chief Justice of Kentucky in 1976. His opinions from
the Supreme Court of Kentucky have received national acclaim for their
content.
{time} 1345
In 1979 he was named U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of
Kentucky, and he served as U.S. district judge until he retired in
1990.
Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I encourage my
colleagues to do the same. This is a very fitting individual and a
fitting tribute to him.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield such
time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Chandler).
Mr. CHANDLER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Iowa for his
help on this legislation, something that is near and dear to my heart.
I also thank the gentleman from Missouri for his nice words.
This courthouse and the naming of this courthouse is very special to
many people in Kentucky because Scott Reed was a special man.
H.R. 478 is a bill to designate the Federal building and United
States courthouse located at 101 Barr Street in Lexington, Kentucky as
the ``Scott Reed Federal Building and United States Courthouse.'' I can
think of no other individual more deserving, no other public servant
more worthy, and no other action more appropriate than naming the
Federal courthouse in Lexington after the Honorable Scott Reed.
Prominent central Kentucky attorney, first Chief Justice of the
Kentucky Supreme Court, and Federal judge, Scott Reed exemplifies the
definition of honor and integrity.
Born in Lexington, Kentucky, on July 3, 1921, Scott Reed graduated
with distinction from the University of Kentucky. While in college, he
was editor-in-chief of the Kentucky Law Journal and awarded the order
of the Coif, the highest academic award that can be given to a law
graduate. He was also a member of the Phi Delta Phi Fraternity.
He achieved many honors at the University of Kentucky, culminating
upon graduation as the recipient of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan
Medallion, a prestigious award recognizing outstanding character and
humanitarian service.
Prior to his time on the bench, Scott Reed was County Attorney. He
was retained as counsel for the Fayette County School Board and
distinguished himself as a trial lawyer of great integrity. He served
from 1948 through 1956 as an associate professor at the University of
Kentucky College of Law. From 1964 until 1969, he was judge of the
First Division of the Fayette Circuit Court, the top trial court in
Kentucky's second largest county. He then was elected to the Kentucky
Court of Appeals, at that time the highest court in the Commonwealth.
[[Page H2458]]
As Chief Judge of the Kentucky Court of Appeals, Judge Reed oversaw
the passage of a constitutional amendment that unified and modernized
Kentucky's court system. As part of the modernization, the Court of
Appeals became the Kentucky Supreme Court. Reed was elected by his
fellow justices at that time to be the first Chief Justice of the
Commonwealth of Kentucky. As Chief Justice, he oversaw the
implementation of a constitutional amendment that led to Kentucky's
having one of the most efficient court systems in the country. The
Chief Justice of the Commonwealth holds equal rank with the Governor,
the latter being the head of the Executive Branch and Chief Justice
serving as the head of the Judiciary and its myriad of administrative
offices throughout the State. Judge Reed was elected as a Fellow in the
National College of the Judiciary in 1965 and was a voting member of
the American Law Institute, a body of scholarly people who shape the
laws of our Nation.
The opinions written by Scott Reed during his time on the Supreme
Court of Kentucky have received national acclaim. Judge Reed was a
frequent lecturer to the National College of Trial Judges and has
achieved the highest honors that can be bestowed on a member of his
profession.
In 1979 he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to be U.S.
district judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He served as a
U.S. district judge until he retired in 1990, rounding out his judicial
career having served on the local, State, and Federal benches. Scott
Reed was named to the University of Kentucky College of Law Hall of
Distinguished Alumni on April 11, 1980.
Judge Reed passed away on February 17, 1994, but his legacy will
always be a part of Kentucky's rich history. He richly deserves this
honor, one that is indeed long overdue.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague Mr. Rogers of Kentucky for being a
cosponsor of this legislation. Again, I thank my colleagues from Iowa
and Missouri for their help on bringing this to the floor, and I urge
its passage.
Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I would associate myself with the remarks
Mr. Chandler made. I appreciate that. Judge Reed was truly an
outstanding individual in many respects and served with great
distinction.
Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 478 and urge its passage.
Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 478, a
bill to designate the Federal building located at 101 Barr Street in
Lexington, Kentucky, as the ``Scott Reed Federal Building and United
States Courthouse''. The bill was introduced by the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Chandler) and his colleague from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers).
Scott Reed was born in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1921. He attended
local schools and graduated from the University of Kentucky College of
Law in 1945. While at the University, Reed received many awards and
honors, including the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion for
excellence.
The first years of Judge Reed's career were spent in private practice
during which he distinguished himself as a trial lawyer of great
integrity. During this time, he also taught at the University of
Kentucky College of Law.
From 1964 to 1969, Judge Reed was judge of the First Division of the
Fayette Circuit Court. From 1969 until 1976, he served on the Court of
Appeals, 5th Appellate District. In 1976, Judge Reed became the Chief
Justice of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, a position which holds equal
rank with the Governor. His opinions from the Supreme Court of Kentucky
have received national attention for their scholarly content and
careful judicial reasoning.
In August, 1979, Judge Reed was nominated by President Carter to the
federal bench. He was confirmed later that year and served until his
death in 1994. During his confirmation hearing, Judge Reed was
characterized as possessing a great sense of fairness and objectivity,
practical legal experience, and great respect for the law and its
responsibility to our Nation's citizens. Both Senator Huddleston and
Senator Ford participated in Judge Reed's confirmation hearing.
Judge Reed enjoyed a rich and rewarding career. His contributions to
the American judicial system are exceptional. It is fitting that the
United States Courthouse located in Lexington, Kentucky, bear his name
to honor his distinguished career and enduring legacy.
I support H.R. 478 and urge its passage.
Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Boswell) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 478.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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