[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 170 (Tuesday, November 17, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H13029-H13030]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       H. DALE COOK FEDERAL BUILDING AND UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3305) to designate the Federal building and United States 
courthouse located at 224 South Boulder Avenue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as 
the ``H. Dale Cook Federal Building and United States Courthouse''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3305

       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 224 South Boulder Avenue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, shall be 
     known and designated as the ``H. Dale Cook 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 ``H. Dale Cook Federal 
     Building and United States Courthouse''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Cummings) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-
Balart) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam 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. 3305.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 3305, a bipartisan bill supported by the 
entire Oklahoma delegation that would designate the United States 
courthouse at 224 South Boulder Avenue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the H. 
Dale Cook Federal Building United States Courthouse.
  H. Dale Cook was a veteran of World War II who served as a flight 
instructor. After the war, he studied law at the University of Oklahoma 
and then embarked on a long legal career in electoral politics. After 
being twice elected the chief prosecuting attorney in his county, he 
went on to serve as assistant U.S. attorney. He subsequently alternated 
between government service and private practice for several years 
before being nominated to the Federal judiciary by President Gerald 
Ford in 1974. Judge Cook served as a district court judge for some 34 
years until his death on September 23, 2008.
  Judge Cook was an honorable and well-respected civil servant and had 
a long and distinguished record of public service. The designation of 
the United States courthouse at 224 South Boulder Avenue in Tulsa, 
Oklahoma, in his honor is a fitting memorial to his service, and I urge 
the House to adopt H.R. 3305.
  With that, Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, at this time I would 
like to recognize the impassioned advocate and the sponsor of this 
legislation for 5 minutes, the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan), 
who has been pushing for this resolution.
  Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise 
today to honor Judge H. Dale Cook. Judge Cook was a World War II 
veteran who spent nearly 50 years in public service and more than 33 
years as a United States district judge in Oklahoma. Judge Cook began 
his career in public service in 1951 when he was elected county 
attorney for Logan County and Guthrie. He would hold several other 
positions in public service in Oklahoma, including first assistant U.S. 
attorney, chief trial attorney and legal counsel and adviser to 
Governor Henry Bellmon.
  In the early 1970s, Judge Cook worked in Washington, D.C., for the 
Social Security Administration until beginning his career as a Federal 
judge in 1974 when he was sworn in as U.S. district judge in the 
Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of Oklahoma.

[[Page H13030]]

Five years later in 1979, Judge Cook became chief judge of the Northern 
District of Oklahoma and served in that capacity for 13 years.
  In 1992, Judge Cook took senior status to enable the appointment of 
an additional judge to the Northern District. As a senior judge, he 
continued to be active and carried a full court docket for the next 12 
years until a few months before his death on September 22, 2008.
  Judge Cook was adamantly committed to his belief that politics should 
play no role in the dispensing of justice and demonstrated that belief 
in his judicial rulings and the administration of his responsibilities 
as chief judge. He was a man of fairness and integrity who opened each 
court session with ``God bless the United States and save this 
honorable court.''
  Judge Cook's greatest legacy may be the restoration and the reopening 
of the original Federal courthouse in Tulsa, Oklahoma. When the Federal 
courts were moved to another building about 45 years ago, the old 
Federal building sat largely unused. Judge Cook saw this building as a 
solution when there became a need for additional court space. He 
spearheaded the effort to restore it to its original splendor. Judge 
Cook used his powers of persuasion and his influence as chief judge of 
the Northern District to insist on conforming the courthouse to its 
original design and decorum. Without his involvement, the building 
would have never been used for its current purpose, and the beauty of a 
lost era would not be visible as it is today in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
  By his direct efforts, the building is now included in the National 
Register of Historic Places and is currently used for the courtrooms, 
judicial chambers, the bankruptcy court and affiliated Federal offices 
of the Northern District of Oklahoma. Due to the vision and hard work 
of Judge Cook, the building is now being used for its original purpose, 
as a Federal judicial courthouse.
  Preserving the beauty of a lost era as a Federal judge, he conducted 
his duties in a nonpartisan manner. It is my hope that the naming of 
this Federal building will be an equally bipartisan effort to honor 
this exceptional man for his exemplary career in public service and 
bringing the Federal courthouse back to its original grandeur.
  I urge the adoption of H.R. 3305.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3305, a bill 
introduced by the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan), which 
designates the United States courthouse at 224 South Boulder Avenue in 
Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the ``H. Dale Cook Federal Building and United 
States Courthouse.''
  Judge Cook was a well respected jurist who served as a Federal judge 
for well over 30 years. Judge Cook served as a lieutenant in the U.S. 
Army Air Corps during World War II and later as member of the U.S. Air 
Force Reserve. During his long legal career, Judge Cook served as an 
attorney in private practice, chief prosecuting attorney in his county, 
as an assistant U.S. attorney, counsel to the Governor of Oklahoma, and 
finally as a member of the Federal judiciary.
  Judge Cook was nominated to the Federal judiciary by President Gerald 
Ford in 1974. He initially served as a visiting Federal judge with a 
seat on the bench of each of Oklahoma's Federal judicial districts. 
Judge Cook later became Chief Judge of the Northern District in 1979 
and served in that position until 1992. In addition, Judge Cook sat 
several times by designation with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 
Tenth Circuit.
  Judge Cook succumbed to cancer just over a year ago, on September 23, 
2008. He continued to hear cases on the Federal bench until only a few 
months before he passed away. Judge Cook was held in high esteem by his 
peers and served with distinction as a Federal judge. It is both proper 
and fitting to honor his civic contributions with this designation.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3305.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, at this time, I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I urge the Members to vote in favor of 
this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3305.
  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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