[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 10, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H1234-H1235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING JOHN H. ``JACK'' RUFFIN, JR.

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 1087) honoring the life of John H. ``Jack'' Ruffin, 
Jr.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1087

       Whereas Jack Ruffin left a lasting impact on his State and 
     the United States during his distinguished legal career as a 
     civil rights attorney and as the first African-American chief 
     judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals;
       Whereas Jack Ruffin was born in the rural town of 
     Waynesboro, Georgia, in 1934, where he spent his formative 
     years and where today his portrait hangs in the Burke County 
     Courthouse;
       Whereas Jack Ruffin graduated from Morehouse College in 
     1957 and from Howard University School of Law in 1960;
       Whereas Jack Ruffin became, in 1961, the first African-
     American admitted to the Augusta Bar Association, against the 
     wishes of his mother who feared for his safety;
       Whereas Jack Ruffin fought with great courage against 
     injustices in his community throughout his life, most notably 
     when he filed the lawsuits that desegregated the public 
     school systems of Richmond County and of Burke County;
       Whereas Jack Ruffin honorably served, from 1986 to 1994, as 
     the first African-American Superior Court judge in the 
     Augusta Judicial Circuit;
       Whereas Jack Ruffin, having been appointed by Governor Zell 
     Miller to the Georgia Court of Appeals in 1994, honorably 
     served as a member of that Court until 2008;
       Whereas Jack Ruffin became the first African-American Chief 
     Judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals in 2005 and served 
     honorably in that position until 2006;
       Whereas the new Richmond County judicial center in Augusta, 
     Georgia, will be named in Jack Ruffin's honor, a decision 
     made by the Augusta-Richmond County Commission in 2009;
       Whereas Jack Ruffin retired from the Georgia Court of 
     Appeals in 2008 and spent the rest of his life giving back to 
     his community by teaching students at his alma mater, 
     Morehouse College;
       Whereas Jack Ruffin died the night of January 29, 2010, at 
     the age of 75, in Atlanta, Georgia, and is survived by his 
     wife, Judith Ruffin, his father, John Ruffin, Sr., his son, 
     Brinkley Ruffin, and two grandsons;
       Whereas the passing of Jack Ruffin is a great loss to the 
     legal community and to the State of Georgia, and his life 
     should be honored with great praise and appreciation for the 
     many contributions he made to the legal system in the United 
     States and to the civil rights movement; and
       Whereas it is the intent of the House of Representatives to 
     recognize and pay tribute to the life of Jack Ruffin, his 
     achievements for civil rights, his zeal for justice, and his 
     passion for the law: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes Jack Ruffin as a great jurist in the State 
     of Georgia and as an important figure in the civil rights 
     movement; and
       (2) recognizes the selfless and brave contributions that 
     Jack Ruffin made to his community and to the law.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) 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 have 
5

[[Page H1235]]

legislative days to extend and revise their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the resolution as they see fit.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COHEN. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1087 honors the life of John H. 
``Jack'' Ruffin, Jr. Judge Ruffin began his distinguished legal career 
as a civil rights attorney, and throughout his career blazed a trail to 
advance civil rights for all. Judge Ruffin spent most of his life in 
the great State of Georgia. He was born in Burke County, Georgia, and 
graduated from Waynesboro High and Industrial School. He attended 
Morehouse College, and then moved to Washington, D.C. to attend law 
school at Howard University School of Law. After graduating from law 
school, Judge Ruffin returned to Georgia to practice law.
  Only 3 years into his legal career, he filed lawsuits to desegregate 
the public school systems of Richmond County and Burke County in 
Georgia. After several additional years of fighting for civil rights, 
Judge Ruffin became the first African American member of the Augusta 
Bar Association. After 33 years of practicing law, Judge Ruffin was 
administered the oath of office and took the bench as the 62nd judge of 
the Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia.
  He made history as the first African American Superior Court Judge in 
the Augusta Judicial Circuit, and later made history again when he 
served as the first African American Chief Judge of the Georgia Court 
of Appeals. At the time of his death, Judge Ruffin held a teaching 
position at Morehouse College, still actively engaged in inspiring 
those to follow.
  To honor all of Judge Ruffin's accomplishments, the new Richmond 
County judicial center will be named in his honor. We mourn his 
passing, but are pleased to honor his many civil rights and legal 
accomplishments today. He stands, as did Thurgood Marshall and others, 
as great individuals who used the courts to advance civil rights.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in support of House Resolution 1087, which honors the life of 
Judge Jack Ruffin. Judge Ruffin was a pioneering civil rights lawyer in 
his community, and his impact on the civil rights movement affects many 
today.
  He was born in Waynesboro, Georgia, where his portrait today hangs in 
the Burke County Courthouse. Growing up in the Deep South, his mother 
wanted him to be a school teacher and not a lawyer because she feared 
for his safety. But not to be intimidated, Judge Ruffin went to law 
school anyway. And despite his mother's concerns about his safety, he 
became a lawyer.
  After law school he moved to Augusta, Georgia, where he became the 
first African American member of the Augusta Bar Association. He argued 
countless cases for civil rights. In perhaps the most notable case, 
Acree v. Board of Education, he filed suit to desegregate the Richmond 
County school system, which included the City of Augusta. Litigation 
continued for decades before he finally obtained a Federal court order 
to integrate the system.
  From 1986 to 1994 he served as the first African American Superior 
Court Judge in the Augusta Judicial Circuit. In 1994, he was appointed 
to the Georgia Court of Appeals. And in 2005, he became the first 
African American Chief Judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals. In 2009, 
the Augusta-Richmond County Commission decided to name the new Richmond 
County judicial center in Augusta in Jack Ruffin's honor.
  Judge Ruffin's selfless and brave pursuit of equal justice for 
everyone earned him the respect and admiration of generations to come. 
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Barrow).
  Mr. BARROW. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1087, a resolution 
honoring the life of my good friend, Judge Jack Ruffin of Augusta, 
Georgia. Judge Ruffin passed away on January 29 at the age of 75. He 
had a long and distinguished career of service in Georgia, and he will 
truly be missed.
  Jack Ruffin was born in the middle of the Great Depression, and spent 
his formative years in the town of Waynesboro, Georgia. He left home to 
attend Morehouse College, and graduated in 1957. At the time his mother 
wanted him to be a teacher, but Jack Ruffin had other plans. He moved 
to Washington, D.C., attended Howard University School of Law, and got 
his J.D. degree in 1960.
  Jack Ruffin could have built a successful law practice anywhere in 
the country, but he decided to return home to the deeply segregated 
City of Augusta to practice law. Throughout the course of his career, 
Jack Ruffin focused on rooting out the racial prejudice and 
discrimination which still held a firm grip on the political and 
economic livelihood of our State. Jack Ruffin fought for his own right 
to practice his profession, and became the first black lawyer admitted 
to the Augusta Bar Association and the first black Superior Court Judge 
in the Augusta Judicial Circuit. But more importantly, he fought for 
the rights of everyone in the community. Among other causes he took on, 
he was the lawyer who desegregated the Richmond and Burke County public 
school systems.
  Judge Ruffin was appointed to the Georgia Court of Appeals in 1994. 
He became the first black Chief Judge of that court in 1996. After his 
retirement in 2008, Judge Ruffin spent the remainder of his life 
teaching students at Morehouse College, giving back to the college that 
gave so much to him.
  The resolution before us today honoring Jack Ruffin's life is 
sponsored by every single member of the Georgia congressional 
delegation. That speaks not only to Jack Ruffin's character, but also 
to how far we have come as a State and as a Nation. Jack Ruffin did as 
much to change the laws and attitudes in Georgia as anyone else of his 
generation, and as a result we are a better and a freer people.
  So today I urge my colleagues to adopt this legislation to express 
our lasting gratitude for Jack Ruffin's unyielding commitment to 
justice and equality for all.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I urge the adoption of this resolution and commend 
the Georgia delegation for bringing it forward, Mr. Barrow especially.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I join with the gentleman from Texas and 
thank Mr. Barrow for bringing the resolution. Gentlemen such as Judge 
Ruffin need to be remembered and others encouraged to follow in their 
footsteps. And that is important.
  So I yield back the balance of my time and ask all of my colleagues 
to join me in voting ``aye'' on House Resolution 1087.
  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 agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1087.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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