[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 52 (Monday, March 26, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H3023-H3025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   J. HERBERT W. SMALL FEDERAL BUILDING AND UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 1138) to designate the Federal building and United States 
courthouse located at 306 East Main Street in Elizabeth City, North 
Carolina, as the ``J. Herbert W. Small Federal Building and United 
States Courthouse''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1138

       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 306 East Main Street in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``J. Herbert W. Small 
     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 ``J. Herbert W. Small 
     Federal Building and United States Courthouse''.

  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.


                             General Leave

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 1138.
  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.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1138 is a bill to designate the Federal building 
and United States courthouse located at 306 East Main Street, Elizabeth 
City, North Carolina, as the J. Herbert W. Small Federal Building and 
United States Courthouse.
  J. Herbert W. Small, a lifelong resident of Elizabeth City, North 
Carolina, is a graduate of the University of Virginia Engineering 
School and the University of North Carolina Law School. He began the 
practice of law in 1949 and continued in his chosen field for over five 
decades. During his professional career, he was a member of the First 
Judicial District Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the 
North Carolina Bar Association.
  In 1974, Judge Small was elected judge of Superior Court of the First 
Judicial District and served as Senior Resident Judge for 17 years. 
Judge Small is an active volunteer, serving on the Board of Directors 
of the Albemarle Hospital and the American Red Cross. He has received 
numerous awards and honors from the Jaycees, Boy Scouts, Volunteer 
Firemen, Chamber of Commerce, and the Rotary and Elks clubs. Further, 
Judge Small, a World War II veteran, served in the United States Navy 
for 3 years.
  Judge Small is an outstanding jurist, civic leader, mentor and 
volunteer. I support this bill and urge its passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

[[Page H3024]]

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1138 designates the Federal building and United 
States courthouse located at 306 East Main Street in Elizabeth City, 
North Carolina, as the J. Herbert W. Small Federal Building and United 
States Courthouse. The bill honors Judge Small's service to the legal 
profession.
  Judge Small served in the United States Navy during the Second World 
War and received a law degree from the University of North Carolina Law 
School at Chapel Hill. He began the practice of law in 1949 and 
practiced for over five decades.
  His career included serving on the Congressional Committee on 
Intergovernmental Relations, as county attorney for Pasquotank County, 
and as judge of the Superior Court of the First Judicial District. 
Judge Small served as Senior Resident Judge for 17 years.
  I support this legislation and encourage my colleagues to do the 
same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
honorable gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield), the sponsor 
of the bill.
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, let me first thank the gentleman from 
Tennessee for yielding the time to me to speak to this very important 
piece of legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an outstanding jurist and 
community leader by seeking to name the Federal building in Elizabeth 
City, North Carolina, as the J. Herbert Small Federal Building and 
United States Courthouse.
  I want to thank my good friend, Chairman Oberstar, and Ranking Member 
Mica for their outstanding leadership in quickly moving this 
legislation through their committee. I would also like to thank each 
member of the entire North Carolina delegation, Democrat and 
Republican, for their collective support of this important bill.
  Mr. Speaker, J. Herbert Small is a lifelong resident of Elizabeth 
City, North Carolina. He has devoted 52 long years of his professional 
life to the practice of law and to the administration of justice in 
eastern North Carolina.
  Herb Small began his law practice in Elizabeth City in 1949 after 
graduating from the School of Law at the University of North Carolina 
at Chapel Hill. He served as Special Counsel to the Congressional 
Committee on Intergovernmental Relations and later served 8 years as 
county attorney for the County of Pasquotank.
  He was elected as district attorney for the First Judicial District 
of North Carolina for three consecutive terms. During his tenure, he 
served as chairman of the District Attorneys Advisory Committee, was 
President of the District Attorneys Association and was appointed by 
the Governor to the Jail Study Commission.
  It was when Mr. Small was a district attorney that our paths first 
met. As a young lawyer, I opposed him in the courtroom on several 
occasions. He was a strong and effective district attorney.
  In 1979, Herb Small was elected as Resident Superior Court Judge for 
the First Judicial District of North Carolina. He served in this 
capacity for 17 years. He was honored by his peers when he was elected 
President of the North Carolina Conference of Superior Court Judges. 
During this time, he represented the conference on the North Carolina 
Policy and Sentencing Commission.
  In the early days of Judge Small's service as a trial judge, I 
appeared before him as a lawyer, representing both civil and criminal 
clients. He was a firm but fair judge, treating everyone who came 
before his court with respect.
  And then Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of being able to call Judge 
Small my judicial colleague. When I was elected as a Superior Court 
Judge in 1988, Judge Small had preceded me to the bench by several 
years. He welcomed me among the ranks of Superior Court Judges, and our 
friendship continued to evolve.
  Mr. Speaker, Herb Small is a legal scholar; and our courts benefited 
in so many ways because of his intellect.
  Now, I am very proud to call Judge Small a constituent. He is 
retired. He is happily retired, living in Elizabeth City, North 
Carolina, which is one of my 23 communities in my congressional 
district. Herb Small is a trusted friend and a good adviser.
  Judge Small served as chairman of the Albemarle Hospital Board of 
Directors and as Chairman of the American Red Cross Chapter. He has 
been actively engaged in other civic and charitable and service 
organizations, including the Jaycees and the Boy Scouts and Volunteer 
Firemen, Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club and the Elks Club and 
the Red Men and so on. He was given the Distinguished Service Award by 
the Jaycees, the Volunteer of the Year Award by the Chamber of 
Commerce, and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by the State of North 
Carolina for outstanding community involvement.
  Very importantly, Mr. Speaker, during World War II, Judge Small 
served 3 years in the United States Navy; and our country is proud of 
and thanks him for his service.
  Judge Small has been married to a wonderful individual, Mrs. Annette 
Ward Small, for many years. They have four children, Elizabeth, John 
Herbert, Fran and Carol; and they have nine grandchildren, Rachel, 
Matthew, John, Mary, Margaret, Ruth, Allison Katie, and Chris.

                              {time}  1430

  Mr. Speaker, I can think of no finer individual and no person who is 
more deserving of this high honor than Judge J. Herbert Small. I can 
assure you that Judge Small is humbled and honored by this recognition. 
The people of Elizabeth City and the First Congressional District of 
North Carolina are grateful for his community service, for his 
dedication, and his great and extraordinary leadership.
  I thank the gentleman from Maryland for yielding me time, and I thank 
the gentleman from Ohio for his work on this matter.
  I urge my colleagues today to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1138.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I might 
consume to congratulate the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Butterfield) for his legislation today and also to advise my friend 
from Tennessee I have no further speakers and if he is in the same 
position, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. COHEN. I join in congratulating the gentleman from North 
Carolina.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speak, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1138, a 
bill to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse 
located at 306 East Main Street, in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as 
the ``J. Herbert W. Small Federal Building and United States 
Courthouse''.
  J. Herbert W. Small is a life-long resident of Elizabeth City, North 
Carolina. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia Engineering 
School, and the University of North Carolina Law School at Chapel Hill. 
He began practicing law in 1949 and continued in his chosen field for 
more than five decades. During his professional career, he was a member 
of the First Judicial District Bar Association, the American Bar 
Association, and the North Carolina Bar Association.
  He began his career as Special Counsel to the Congressional Committee 
on Intergovernmental Relations. Judge Small later served as County 
Attorney for Pasquotank County. In 1979, Judge Small was elected Judge 
of Superior Court of the First Judicial District and served as senior 
resident judge for 17 years. Judge Small is an active volunteer, 
serving on the Board of Director of the Albemarle Hospital and the 
American Red Cross. He has received numerous awards and honors from the 
Jaycees, the Boy Scouts, the Volunteer Fireman, the Chamber of 
Commerce, and the Rotary and Elks clubs. Further, Judge Small was a 
World War II veteran and served in the U.S. Navy for three years.
  Judge Small is an outstanding mentor and volunteer. For more than 
five decades, he has been an exceptional jurist and civic leader. It is 
fitting and proper to honor his outstanding contributions with this 
designation.
  I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
  Mr. COHEN. 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 Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1138.
  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.

[[Page H3025]]



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