[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 107 (Tuesday, July 20, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H5787-H5788]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING CHIEF JUSTICE WILLIAM S. RICHARDSON

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1470) honoring the life, achievements, 
and distinguished career of Chief Justice William S. Richardson.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1470

       Whereas William S. Richardson was born on December 22, 
     1919, and spent most of his childhood in Palama and Kaimuki;
       Whereas William S. Richardson was born to a working class 
     family of Hawaiian, Chinese, and Caucasian ancestry;
       Whereas William S. Richardson served as a platoon leader in 
     the United States Army during World War II and was later 
     inducted into the Infantry Officer Candidate School Hall of 
     Fame;
       Whereas William S. Richardson served as Lieutenant Governor 
     of Hawaii from 1962-1966;
       Whereas William S. Richardson led the Hawaii Democratic 
     Party from 1956-1962;
       Whereas William S. Richardson served as the Chief Justice 
     of the Hawaii Supreme Court from 1966-1982;
       Whereas the William S. Richardson School of Law honors his 
     leadership by opening educational and professional avenues 
     for the Islands' most disadvantaged groups;
       Whereas William S. Richardson upheld traditional Hawaiian 
     laws and expanded public rights for Native Hawaiians and all 
     people in Hawaii;
       Whereas as William S. Richardson was awarded the Spirit of 
     Excellence Award from the American Bar Association; and
       Whereas, on June 21, 2010, at the age of 90, William S. 
     Richardson passed away in Honolulu, Hawaii: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) honors the life, achievements, and distinguished career 
     of Chief Justice William S. Richardson;
       (2) emphasizes that, among his judicial accomplishments, 
     Chief Justice William S. Richardson changed the face of 
     higher education in Hawaii by opening avenues for the 
     Islands' most disadvantaged groups and by building a more 
     equitable society for the people of Hawaii; and
       (3) recognizes the William S. Richardson School of Law, the 
     educational institution that bears his name, as a significant 
     part of the legacy of William S. Richardson.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Scott) and the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Djou) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  House Resolution 1470 honors the life, achievements, and 
distinguished career of Chief Justice William S. Richardson. Chief 
Justice Richardson was a leading proponent of the rights of Native 
Americans throughout his 16-year tenure as Hawaii State Supreme Court 
Chief Justice.
  He was primarily known for drawing on ancestral Hawaiian customs 
rather than Western common law in his decisions. He has been credited 
with triggering a ``renaissance'' in pride in native identity and the 
language and culture of Native Hawaiians.
  Born in 1919, William Richardson worked his way through the 
University of Hawaii, where he received his undergraduate degree. He 
went on to earn a law degree from the University of Cincinnati.
  Upon graduating from law school in 1941, he volunteered for the Army 
Air Corps, and later served as a platoon leader with the 1st Filipino 
Infantry Regiment. After World War II ended, he returned to Hawaii, 
where he served in the Judge Advocate General Corps. He was later 
inducted into the Infantry Office Candidate School Hall of Fame.
  Fueled by a sense of patriotism, William Richardson aligned himself 
with the emerging Hawaii Democratic Party, eventually serving as its 
chairman from 1956 to 1962.
  In 1963, he became the lieutenant governor under Governor John Burns. 
Just a few years later, he was appointed Chief Justice of the Hawaii 
Supreme Court, where he served for 16 years.
  Under Chief Justice Richardson's guidance, the Hawaii Supreme Court 
oversaw judgments ensuring public beach access, expanding Native 
Hawaiian rights to use private property, and affirming public ownership 
of natural resources.
  He was famously quoted as saying that ``the Western concept of 
exclusivity is not universally applicable in Hawaii.''
  Education was paramount to Chief Justice Richardson. One of his 
proudest accomplishments was his successful effort to see a law school 
opened in Hawaii. In 1973 The University of Hawaii opened the only law 
school in

[[Page H5788]]

the State. It was named the William S. Richardson School of Law upon 
his retirement from the bench.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlelady 
from Hawaii (Ms. Hirono).
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Scott, for 
yielding me time.
  I rise today in support of House Resolution 1470, which recognizes 
the life, achievements, and distinguished career of the late Bill 
Richardson, Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court.
  William Shaw Richardson was born in Honolulu on December 22, 1919. 
Raised in Kaimuki and a graduate of a public school, Roosevelt High 
School, Bill worked in pineapple canneries to pay his way through the 
University of Hawaii. He then earned a law degree from the University 
of Cincinnati. Bill later enlisted in the Army and served as platoon 
leader with the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment during World War II.
  In 1956, Bill served as chairman of Hawaii's Democratic Party. He was 
elected to the office of Lieutenant Governor in 1962. In 1966, Governor 
John A. Burns appointed him as chief justice of the Hawaii Supreme 
Court. C.J. Richardson served on the court for 16 years.
  C.J. Richardson was our Nation's first native Hawaiian Supreme Court 
chief justice. Working closely with his fellow justices, C.J. 
incorporated native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices into 
State law and expanded public rights. In perhaps his most famous case, 
in 1968, C.J. Richardson, in essence, asked, ``Why should Hawaii follow 
Anglo-American common law rather than its own ancient traditions 
regarding the use of property?'' C.J. recalled not being allowed on the 
beach in front of Waikiki's Royal Hawaiian and Moana hotels as a boy. 
The historic 4-to-1 ruling he wrote incorporated Hawaiian customs by 
preserving public access to the shoreline. No Hawaii beach could be 
considered a private beach like on the mainland.
  Under his leadership, the court also established the water rights of 
people living downstream from privately owned property that surrounded 
rivers or streams. It awarded new land created by lava flows to the 
State instead of adjacent property owners, and it ruled that native 
Hawaiians could cross private property to gather traditional cultural 
resources, like particular plants used by hula dancers as part of their 
ceremonies.
  Among C.J. Richardson's proudest achievements was the opening of 
Hawaii's only law school in 1973. He knew that those with the greatest 
stake in building a more just and equitable society were often denied 
the opportunity to attend law school because of the high cost. He 
fought a lengthy uphill battle to create and shape the law school that 
now proudly bears his name. Over the last years, C.J. had an office at 
the school, where he was a regular source of support and inspiration to 
students and faculty alike.
  I would like to extend my deepest condolences to C.J. Richardson's 
son, William; his two daughters, Barbara Richardson-Phillips and 
Corinne Wolfe; his two sisters, Amy Kahoiwai and Pearl Nishimura; his 
six grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Mahalo nui loa--Hawaiian 
for thank you very much--for sharing the great C.J. with all of us.

                              {time}  1850

  Mr. DJOU. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I support House Resolution 1470.
  I want to thank my colleague from Hawaii for her kind words, and I 
want to echo much of her sentiment--a voice on the life of Chief 
Justice William S. Richardson.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, this resolution honors the life, 
achievements, and the distinguished career of William S. Richardson, 
the former chief justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court, Lieutenant 
Governor of the State of Hawaii and former Democratic chairman of the 
Democratic Party of Hawaii.
  Chief Justice Richardson passed away on June 21 of this year. He was 
one of Hawaii's most influential figures. As Hawaii's Governor, Linda 
Lingle, recently stated, ``The former chief justice played an integral 
role in shaping Hawaii's political and legal landscape.''
  For myself and my family, personally, Chief Justice Richardson 
touched my wife and I, as my wife is a graduate of the William S. 
Richardson School of Law, and I taught at the law school that bears his 
name.
  Chief Justice Richardson was born on December 22, 1919, and always 
referred to himself as ``just a local boy from Hawaii.'' He graduated 
from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and he later attended law 
school at the University of Cincinnati.
  Then, at the outset of World War II, he volunteered to serve in the 
U.S. Army. He saw combat as a platoon leader with the 1st Filipino 
Infantry Regiment. He was later inducted into the Infantry Officer 
Candidate School Hall of Fame.
  After service in World War II, he returned to Hawaii where he played 
a key role in promoting Hawaii statehood. In 1959, when Hawaii became a 
State, Chief Justice Richardson was one of the most prominent figures, 
and he deserves the thanks of all of us for Hawaii's becoming the 50th 
State.
  In 1962, Hawaii elected John Burns as its Governor. Chief Justice 
Richardson was his Lieutenant Governor, serving one term as the 
Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii from 1962 to 1966, as a Democrat. He was 
the first person of Hawaiian ancestry to hold that office.
  Then, from 1966 to 1982, Richardson served as the chief justice of 
Hawaii's Supreme Court. During his 16 years as chief justice, he made a 
number of landmark rulings that have shaped Hawaii and our Nation's 
case law to this day.
  Most of all, he is much loved by his family. As his son Bill 
Richardson recently stated, we should always remember him as a 
grandfather: ``When school ended, I could always count on him ready to 
pick me up. He'd come by and watch my practices as much as he could.''
  I think that is the legacy all of us want to remember Chief Justice 
Richardson for.
  For many years, Chief Justice Richardson fought for the establishment 
of a law school. His efforts culminated in 1973, establishing the first 
and, thus far, only law school in the State of Hawaii: the University 
of Hawaii's William S. Richardson School of Law. Chief Justice 
Richardson shared his wealth of knowledge with students, attorneys and 
judges; and he leaves a lasting legacy in our State.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, this resolution honors this long-time 
leader and path-breaking American. I urge my colleagues to join me in 
support of this resolution.
  Mahalo and aloha.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my two colleagues 
from Hawaii for their bipartisan cooperation on this resolution. I urge 
my colleagues to support it.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1470.
  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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