[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 52 (Monday, March 26, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H3021-H3022]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CLIFFORD DAVIS/ODELL HORTON FEDERAL BUILDING

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 753) to redesignate the Federal building located at 167 North 
Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee, as the ``Clifford Davis/Odell Horton 
Federal Building,'' as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 753

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. REDESIGNATION.

       The Federal building located at 167 North Main Street in 
     Memphis, Tennessee, commonly known as the Clifford Davis 
     Federal Building, shall be known and designated as the 
     ``Clifford Davis and Odell Horton Federal Building''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the Federal building 
     referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to 
     the ``Clifford Davis and Odell Horton Federal Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I am joined in H.R. 753 by the entire 
Tennessee delegation, and I am joined in a companion bill with its 
authorship/sponsorship of each of our Senators, Lamar Alexander and Bob 
Corker.


                             General Leave

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 753.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 753, sponsored by the entire Tennessee delegation of both the 
House and the Senate, is to designate the Federal building in Memphis, 
Tennessee, located at 167 North Main Street as the Clifford Davis and 
Odell Horton Federal Building.
  Judge Odell Horton was appointed to the United States District Court 
for the Western District of Tennessee by President Jimmy Carter on May 
12, 1980. He was brought to the attention of President Carter by then-
Senator Jim Sasser and through a proposal by Lieutenant Governor John 
Wilder who represented the district that Judge Horton grew up in 
Bolivar, Tennessee.
  Judge Horton in 1980 was the first African American Federal judge 
appointed to the bench in Tennessee since Reconstruction. He has many 
firsts as an African American, but he has more regard simply as an 
outstanding jurist, attorney, soldier and human being.
  He was born May 13, 1929, in Bolivar, Tennessee, and grew up during 
the Depression and the Second World War. His father was a laborer and 
his mother took in laundry. The children, four boys and a girl, picked 
cotton, stacked lumber, and took other odd jobs to make ends meet.
  Judge Horton graduated from Bolivar High School in 1946 and enlisted 
in the Marine Corps ``as a vehicle to find a way out of Bolivar.'' 
After an early discharge, he enrolled in Morehouse College in Atlanta, 
Georgia, using Federal aid under the GI bill to finance his tuition. 
The Korean War was under way by the time he graduated in 1951, and he 
returned for a second tour with the Marines. After a second tour, 
during which he graduated from the U.S. Navy School of Journalism, 
Horton entered Howard University Law School in Washington, DC. He 
received his degree from Howard in 1956, then moved to Memphis to begin 
private practice in a one-room office upstairs at 145 Beale Street in 
Memphis, the legendary Beale Street in Memphis.
  He served in private practice for 5 years from 1957 until 1962 and 
then was appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney in Memphis. After being 
Assistant U.S. Attorney, he served in other capacities. First of all, 
during Mayor Henry Lobe's city administration, he was the first African 
American member of that administration, head of health and hospitals. 
That was a tumultuous time in Memphis' history. During that time, Dr. 
King was killed in Memphis on April 4, 1968, and we will observe that 
tragedy soon in Memphis. But Judge Horton, as an African American, had 
a difficult task. As such, he ordered the desegregation of the Bowld 
Hospital which was the public hospital. That was a great thing that he 
did in bringing Memphis forward.
  A year after he did that in 1968, he received the L.M. Graves 
Memorial Health Award for his efforts to advance the cause of health 
care in Memphis. He later became a criminal court judge appointed by 
then-Governor Buford Ellington. After serving on the criminal court 
bench, he went on to serve as president of LeMoyne-Owen College, an 
historically black college in Memphis, a liberal arts school where he 
served for 4 years from 1970 to 1974.
  In 1974, Judge Horton ran for Shelby County district attorney 
general. Although he lost by just about 4,000 votes, he came very 
close, and it was a historic election that set a precedent for other 
individuals running for office and being elected on their merits and 
not based on their race. He received over 23 percent of the Caucasian 
vote, which was unheard of at the time, and it showed the respect that 
he had from all sections of the community.
  He returned to Federal service after being at LeMoyne-Owen and after 
having unsuccessfully sought the DA's job as reporter for the Speedy 
Trial Act Implementation Committee by the Western District Court. After 
that, he served as a U.S. bankruptcy judge from 1976 to 1980. Then he 
received the appointment from President Carter. Then from January 1, 
1987, until December 31, 1993, he served as the chief judge for the 
Western District of Tennessee. On May 16, 1995, he took senior judge 
status, and 2 years later closed his Memphis office.
  He is remembered in Memphis as a calm and patient judge who carefully 
and deliberately explained legal concepts to jurors. He was a model for 
judges because of his judicial temperament and set a standard in such 
regards. Judge Horton and his wife, Evie Randolf, were married for over 
50 years and have two sons, Odell Horton, Jr., and Christopher, who 
graduated from his alma mater, Morehouse College in Atlanta. Judge 
Horton's widow spoke for so many in his profession and personal life 
when she stated after his death, ``He was a rare and precious jewel in 
the crown of humanity and made all of our lives richer and better 
because he passed this way.'' Indeed, Mrs. Horton was correct.
  Judge Horton received many honors for his work from different bar 
associations and institutions. He was a member of the American Bar 
Association and Chair of the National Conference of Federal Trial 
Judges. He served as a member of the Judicial Conference Committee on 
Defender Services, and Morehouse College awarded him an honorary degree 
of Doctor of Laws.
  In the year 2000, the Memphis Bar Association awarded Judge Horton 
with a Public Service Award. He died February 22, 2006. In honor of 
Judge Horton's significant contributions to the legal community in 
Memphis and his pioneering career, it is both fitting and proper to 
designate the courthouse located at 167 North Main Street in Memphis as 
the Clifford Davis and Odell Horton Federal Building.
  As Senator Alexander mentioned on the Senate floor, it is appropriate 
that

[[Page H3022]]

this building have both the names of Judge Horton, a great pioneer of 
the latter half of the 20th century, and Clifford Davis, who was part 
of the first half of the 20th century, served as United States 
Congressman from 1940 to 1965. It shows a continuum of history, a 
growth of history, and history is a process. The naming of this 
building for Judge Horton as well as former Congressman Clifford Davis 
shows progress in Memphis, progress in race relations, and progress 
among human beings.
  Accordingly, I ask for unanimous passage of the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 753, as amended, designates the Clifford Davis Federal Building 
in Memphis, Tennessee, as the Clifford Davis and Odell Horton Federal 
Building. The bill honors Judge Horton's dedication to public service.
  After service in the United States Marines during the Korean War and 
acquiring a law degree from Howard University, Judge Horton engaged in 
the private practice of law from 1957 until 1962.

                              {time}  1415

  His career included serving as an Assistant United States Attorney in 
Memphis, an appointment to the Shelby County Criminal Court, and 
serving as the President of LeMoyne-Owen College.
  Judge Horton was appointed to the United States District Court for 
the Western District of Tennessee by President Carter in 1980. He 
served as its chief judge from 1987 to 1993 and became a senior judge 
on May 16, 1995. Two years later, he retired from the Federal bench; 
and, sadly, Judge Horton passed away last year on February 22.
  I support this legislation and encourage our colleagues to do the 
same.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 753, a 
bill to re-designate the Federal building located at 167 North Main 
Street in Memphis, Tennessee, as the ``Clifford Davis and Odell Horton 
Federal Building''.
  Odell Horton was appointed to the United States District Court for 
the Western District of Tennessee by President Jimmy Carter on May 12, 
1980. He was the first African-American Federal Judge appointed in 
Tennessee since Reconstruction.
  Judge Horton was born in Boliver, Tennessee. He grew up during the 
Depression and World War II in an environment he described as 
``typically rural Southern and typically segregated, with all the 
attendant consequences of that.'' He was the oldest of five children to 
hard-working parents. During his childhood, he and his brothers and 
sister picked cotton to help support the family.
  Horton graduated from high school in 1946 and enlisted in the Marine 
Corps ``as a vehicle to find a way out of Bolivar.'' Ten months later, 
he took advantage of an early discharge program designed to reduce the 
number of men in the military, and enrolled in Morehouse College in 
Atlanta, Georgia, using Federal aid under the GI bill to finance his 
tuition. The Korean War was underway by the time he graduated in 1951, 
and he returned for a second tour of duty in the Marines.
  During his second tour, he graduated from the U.S. Navy School of 
Journalism. After returning home, Horton entered Howard University Law 
School in Washington, D.C. He received his law degree in 1956 and moved 
to Memphis, Tennessee, where he started a private law practice.
  In 1962, Horton became Assistant United States Attorney in Memphis. 
He remained in that position until his appointment to the Shelby County 
Criminal Court by Governor Buford Ellington. In 1968, Judge Horton 
ordered the desegregation of Bowld Hospital. A year later, he received 
the L.M. Graves Memorial Health Award for his efforts to advance the 
cause of health care in Memphis. Judge Horton stepped down from his 
Federal judgeship to serve as President of LeMayne-Owen College, a 
predominately African-American liberal arts college.
  He returned to Federal service upon his appointment as reporter for 
the Speedy Trial Act Implementation Committee by the Western District 
Court of Tennessee. He later served as U.S. Bankruptcy Judge from 1976 
to 1980. Judge Horton also served as Chief Judge for the Western 
District of Tennessee from January 1, 1987, until December 31, 1993. On 
May 16, 1995, he took senior status and retired two years later.
  Judge Horton was a member of the American Bar Association and Chair 
of the National Conference of Federal Trial Judges. He also served as a 
member of the Judicial Conference Committee on Defender Services. 
Morehouse College honored him with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of 
Laws. In 2000, the Memphis Bar Association awarded Judge Horton with a 
Public Service Award.
  Judge Horton died February 22, 2006, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in 
Memphis, Tennessee, and was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis.
  In honor of Judge Horton's outstanding contributions to the legal 
community in Memphis and his exemplary professional career, it is both 
fitting and proper to designate the courthouse located on 167 North 
Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee, as the ``Clifford Davis and Odell 
Horton Federal Building''.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. La TOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 753, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``A bill to redesignate the 
Federal building located at 167 North Main Street in Memphis, 
Tennessee, as the ``Clifford Davis and Odell Horton Federal 
Building'.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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