[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 173 (Monday, November 14, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H7416-H7417]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ALTO LEE ADAMS, SR., UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1791) to designate the United States courthouse under
construction at 101 South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce,
Florida, as the ``Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1791
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.
The United States courthouse under construction at 101
South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce, Florida, shall be
known and designated as the ``Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United
States Courthouse''.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES.
Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper,
or other record of the
[[Page H7417]]
United States to the United States courthouse referred to in
section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``Alto Lee
Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Denham) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs.
Napolitano) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. 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. 1791.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. DENHAM. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
H.R. 1791 would designate the United States courthouse currently
under construction at 101 South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce,
Florida, as the Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Rooney) for introducing this bipartisan legislation. I
also want to thank the 21 cosponsors from the State of Florida for
supporting this bill.
Chief Justice Alto Lee Adams, Sr., honorably served his community and
the State of Florida throughout his life.
Chief Justice Adams was born in 1899 and was raised on a farm in
Walton County, Florida. After graduating from the University of Florida
College of Law in 1921, he practiced law in Fort Pierce, Florida, from
1924 to 1938. He was then appointed as circuit court judge for St.
Lucie County.
After Floridians adopted an amendment to add a seventh justice on the
State supreme court in 1940, Governor Fred Cone appointed Chief Justice
Adams to the newly created seat. Chief Justice Adams served on the
court from 1940 until 1951, and he was chief justice from 1949 until
1951. He sat on the bench again from 1967 until 1968.
Outside of his judicial career, Chief Justice Adams was active in his
community. In 1937 he served as the president of the Florida State Elks
Association. From '37 to '38, he served as the vice chair of the State
welfare board.
Chief Justice Adams also devoted time to local business interests in
St. Lucie County, including citrus groves and Bass Motors. He began a
cattle ranch in 1937, which is still run by the Adams family. The ranch
now encompasses over 65,000 acres in three counties.
I believe it's appropriate that we honor Chief Justice Adams's
dedicated service for community and the State of Florida. I support
passage of this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 1791 and am pleased today to speak in
support of the bill that names the courthouse located in Fort Pierce,
Florida, as the Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse.
I may seem redundant because my colleague has already mentioned most
of the accomplishments of Judge Adams--the fact that he was born in
1899 in Florida and was in the U.S. Navy; that he graduated from the
University of Florida Law School in 1921 and began legal practice in
Fort Pierce in 1924; then from practicing law for nearly 14 years,
Judge Adams was appointed, as was pointed out, to the Florida State
Circuit Court in 1938. That was 2 years after I was born. After serving
as a circuit court judge, he served as a member of the Florida Supreme
Court, again, from 1940 to 1951 and then from 1967 to 1968 and was
recognized as the first graduate of the University of Florida to serve
as a justice and later chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court.
He was very well noted for his short, clear opinions as well as the
several books he published and, of course, the legal articles he
authored. In 1974 he was awarded the honor of being a distinguished
alumnus of the University of Florida.
In addition to his judicial duties, he also served as an active
member of his community, serving, as was pointed out, as the president
of Florida State Elks Association and also as the vice chair of the
State welfare board.
Because of his exemplary career in the public service, both in the
military and the Florida Supreme Court, I urge my colleagues to join us
in supporting H.R. 1791, which does name the U.S. courthouse at 101
South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the Alto Lee
Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Rooney).
Mr. ROONEY. I thank the gentleman from California.
Mr. Speaker, today is a great day for the residents of Fort Pierce,
Florida, and the Treasure Coast. Over two decades ago, the late
Congressman Tom Lewis and his district director, Ann Decker, started
the long process of making the courthouse a reality. The countless
hours of dedication and work by those who followed him are now being
rewarded with the construction of a new courthouse. I was greatly
honored that one of my first official events as Congressman was to
participate in the historic groundbreaking for this building.
I introduced this legislation to honor the distinguished life and
career of the late Florida Supreme Court chief justice, Alto Lee Adams,
by naming the new courthouse in his memory.
This courthouse will fill a vital role for the city of Fort Pierce,
bringing much-needed jobs and investment to the community with this
greatly needed new Federal courthouse. It is only fitting that the
courthouse be named in honor of a man who himself gave so much to his
community and the legal community of the State of Florida.
{time} 1750
Chief Justice Alto Lee Adams attended the University of Florida
College of Law in 1921. As was mentioned, he practiced law in Fort
Pierce. He was appointed circuit court judge for St. Lucie County and
was appointed to the State supreme court in 1940 by then-Governor Fred
P. Cone. He served as a justice on the Florida supreme court from 1940
to 1951 and chief justice from 1949 to 1951.
Chief Justice Adams believed it was important to give back to his
community. His service to St. Lucie County served as an example to his
children and to those who knew him. Mr. Speaker, I can say, having
spoken to some of the Adams family before I took the floor today, they
are thrilled that this bill is being brought up as we speak.
In addition to his distinguished legal career, Justice Adams started
a successful cattle ranch named the Adams Ranch in St. Lucie County--
they just had their bull auction last week--and it is still run by the
Adams family.
Judge Adams set a standard for integrity and community service that
lives on today, and I believe it's only fitting that this new
courthouse is named in his honor. I am proud to sponsor this bill, and
I ask my colleagues for their support in naming this courthouse.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, having no requests for time, I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Denham) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 1791.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that
a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is
not present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
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