[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 157 (Wednesday, October 17, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2165]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE DISTINGUISHED CAREER OF REPRESENTATIVE LOUIS W. STOKES

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM COOPER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 17, 2007

  Mr. COOPER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a former Member of 
this body, Louis W. Stokes, for his contributions both in service to 
our Nation and to the State of Ohio. Representative Stokes has made 
significant strides in increasing benefits to veterans in the Cleveland 
area, and through his work on the Appropriations Committee, he brought 
significant increases in revenue to the Cleveland's East Side. He was 
recently inaugurated into the Karamu House Hall of Fame for his 
contributions to the continued legacy of Cleveland's black settlement 
house and theatre.
  Louis Stokes was born in Cleveland and grew up in one of the Nation's 
first federally funded housing projects, the Outhwaite Homes. He served 
in the Army during World War II, attended Western Reserve University 
and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, and began practicing law in 
Cleveland in 1953. In 1968, Stokes argued the seminal ``stop and 
frisk'' Terry v. Ohio case in front of the United States Supreme Court. 
He was elected to the House in 1968, representing the 21st District and 
then the newly created 11th District, both on Cleveland's East Side. He 
was Chairman of the House Select Committee on Assassinations, charged 
with investigating the murders of President John F. Kennedy and civil 
rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. He also served on the House 
committee that investigated the Iran-Contra Affair and was a founding 
member of the Congressional Black Caucus. By the time of his retirement 
in 1999, Stokes had represented the people of Cleveland for nearly 30 
years. He was dean of the Ohio delegation and one of the most senior 
members of this body.
  Madam Speaker, Louis Stokes' contributions to public life have been 
celebrated in many ways, not least of which is the Louis W. Stokes 
Health Policy Lecture at Meharry Medical College in Nashville. Today, 
October 17, 2007, Representative Stokes was honored at Meharry for his 
pioneering contributions to the field of health policy and law. And 
today I rise to extend my heartfelt congratulations and appreciation to 
Louis Stokes, to celebrate his long career of public service and to 
encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring him. May his words 
inspire new generations of leaders to follow in his footsteps and serve 
their country.

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