[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 16, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1124-E1125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE LIFE OF MR. JACK WALLACE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 16, 2010

  Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mr. Jack 
Wallace, an outstanding man who improved the lives of countless 
individuals while working tirelessly to make Memphis a better and safer 
place. Born in 1928, Mr. Wallace spent 24 years serving in the Memphis 
Police Department before his retirement in 1976.
  Jack Wallace was one of the most outstanding people to have served 
the Memphis community. I was privileged to serve as Police Legal 
Advisor for the Memphis Police Department in the seventies, where Jack 
served as my mentor. He was the person I looked up to, learned from, 
and got advice from. The policemen all respected Jack because he was a 
policeman's policeman; he was a man's man. He was strong; he was smart; 
he was a natural leader.
  Despite never attending college, Mr. Wallace attended the Southern 
College of Law, where he was consistently at the top of his class. His 
colleagues and classmates recalled how much they grew to respect and 
revere him. As a policeman, Jack analyzed issues like a lawyer, cutting 
through all the issues in order to get to the heart of each matter. 
Though he never served as the official director of police, Mr. Wallace 
served as interim director under Mayor Henry Loeb. Jack Wallace was the 
perfect fit for the job. At the time, there was no one in the police 
department with more intelligence, more common sense, respect, 
leadership abilities and a better sense of judgment and values.
  During his time with the Memphis Police Department Mr. Wallace faced 
some of the

[[Page E1125]]

toughest issues confronting the city. He was an integral part of 
ensuring the safety and continued success of the city in a period of 
potential turmoil. After the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther 
King, Jr., it was Jack who maintained order in the community after 
violence broke out, commanding the night tactical units. Wallace was 
also responsible for peacefully ending a 12-hour hostage situation, a 
heroic incident in which he walked into a held-up house, unarmed, and 
rescued six children. Jack Wallace was twice named one of the top 10 
police officers in the country by Parade Magazine.
  In addition to remembering Mr. Wallace for his leadership and bravery 
as a Memphis police officer, I will always remember and appreciate the 
times we were able to spend on the Ridgeway golf course in Memphis with 
friends. As a golfer, he had the ability to charm everyone on the 
course. Years after we played golf, mutual friends would ask ``Where's 
Jack Wallace?'' He had that memorable personality and they simply loved 
playing with him. His wife, Shirley Wallace, reported that the day 
before his death, he played 27 holes of golf.
  Jack Wallace passed away on Saturday, June 12 of heart failure in 
Brownsville, Tennessee at the age of 82. Mr. Wallace was a man of 
exceptional integrity and moral character. His was a life well lived, 
and I honor him today as a public servant, a leader, a mentor, and a 
friend. The city of Memphis is a better place because of Jack Wallace. 
He is survived by his wife Shirley, his son Lee Wallace of Kansas City, 
MO, two daughters, Diane Swan of Collierville, TN and Amy Todd of 
Jackson, TN, a brother, Bill Wallace of Memphis and seven 
grandchildren.

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