[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 25 (Thursday, February 25, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E250]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES AND CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF CHARLYE OLA FARRIS

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                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 25, 2010

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
honor Charlye Ola Farris who passed away on February 18, 2010, and was 
the first African-American to serve as a Southern judge in any capacity 
since Reconstruction.
  Charlye Farris was born in Wichita Falls, Texas. Her father, a 
bastion in his own right, was the first African-American school 
superintendent in Texas, and her mother served as an elementary school 
teacher for 49 years. She graduated as the valedictorian from Booker T. 
Washington High School in 1945 at the age of 15 and went on to complete 
a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Prairie View A&M 
College.
  After spending a year teaching school, Mrs. Farris decided to pursue 
her dreams of obtaining a law degree. At the time, it was almost 
impossible for an African-American woman to gain admittance to a law 
school, but through hard work and determination she was accepted to the 
University of Denver. After her first year, she transferred to Howard 
University in Washington, DC, and graduated in 1953. Shortly 
thereafter, Mrs. Farris returned to Texas to take the Bar exam, and 
after passing, she was sworn in, making her the first African-American 
woman to be licensed to practice law in Texas.
  Mrs. Farris did not spend long celebrating, and after moving back to 
Wichita Falls, she took up practice in an office near the railroad 
tracks on the city's east side. She endured countless civil rights 
atrocities that would shock most people today but to her were very 
real. With great perseverance, she established a reputation for 
herself, and on July 7, 1954, members of the Wichita County Bar 
Association elected her to serve as Special Wichita County Judge. This 
made her the first African-American to serve as a judge in any capacity 
in the South since Reconstruction.
  Mrs. Farris continued her career as a solo practitioner until she 
closed her office in January 2010. As a woman of faith, she was active 
in her church until her death and was involved in countless 
organizations from the local to the national level. Her life included 
many firsts, and she will be truly missed.
  Madam Speaker, the work of Charlye Farris will truly echo through the 
generations as so many women and minorities have benefitted from her 
famous first steps. I ask my fellow colleagues today to join me in 
recognizing her many achievements and celebrating a life that has had 
such a positive impact on society.

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