[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 169 (Tuesday, November 17, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1642]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE LATE NAUSEAD LYVELLE STEWART, ESQ.

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                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 17, 2015

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
life and legacy of an extraordinary public servant, the late Nausead 
Lyvelle Stewart.
  Nausead was born August 15, 1931 in Starkville, Mississippi to Tommy 
James Stewart and Rosa Rogers Stewart. Upon graduation from Oktibbeha 
County Training High School, she chose to attend Tougaloo College where 
she graduated with honors in History and Home Economics. Afterwards, 
she taught high school history for thirteen years in West Point, 
Mississippi, while acquiring her M.A. degree from Atlanta University.
  Nausead entered the University of Mississippi School Of Law in 1967 
and graduated with honors in May, 1970, where she was the first African 
American law student to serve on the law journal. In law school, she 
roomed with Constance Slaughter Harvey, who finished the law school a 
semester earlier, as the first African American female graduate. 
Nausead contributed immensely to the legal profession and the pursuit 
of equal justice for all.
  Upon graduation, she, along with her classmate Geraldine Harrington 
Carnes, was hired by the Lawyers Constitutional Defense Committee 
(LCDC) to assist the then director, Armand Derfner and Jim Lewis with 
civil rights litigation.
  A year later, when LCDC closed its Mississippi Office, Nausead was 
hired to work across the street at Anderson, Banks, Nichols and 
Leventhal to assist with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) civil 
rights litigation. That work consisted primarily of dealing with the 
post desegregation discriminatory practices in teacher and 
administrator hiring and retention. Nausead played a primary role in 
assuring, through litigating several cases, that the ``Uniform 
Singleton Decree'' which provided for the utilization of objective non-
racial standards in determining which education professionals would be 
retained should desegregation result in a loss of positions due to 
duplication. It also provided a first right of refusal for subsequent 
new openings to any professionals who were not rehired because of such 
duplication. Additionally, Nausead worked on other successful 
employment class actions against large employers in our state. A case 
law query will reveal some of the great work that she did during this 
era and continuing in to the 1980s.
  In 1975, Nausead became a partner and the firm name was changed to 
Anderson, Banks, Nichols and Stewart.
  Three years later, Nausead left the firm to assume the position as 
head of the Jackson Office for the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights 
Under Law, thus completing the circle of having been a lawyer for the 
three foremost civil rights legal offices in the 1960s and 70s, the 
Lawyers Committee, NAACP LDF, and LCDC.
  In the 1980s, the Lawyers Committee closed its Jackson Office, 
whereupon, Nausead joined the Walker and Walker firm in Jackson, headed 
by John L. Walker and William Walker, Jr. While working there, Nausead 
handled the firm's appellate work and motion practice and was a mentor 
for James E. Graves, Jr. and Regina Quinn who also worked there during 
her tenure. In 1982, Nausead offered her services to the citizens of 
Hinds County for the County Court Judge position thus becoming the 
first African American female judicial candidate.
  After practicing law with the Walker and Walker firm for several 
years, Nausead assumed a position with Minact Inc. where she engaged in 
grant writing and compliance until her retirement.
  On July 18, 2000 and during her retirement, Nausead served as a 
Jackson Civil Service Commissioner after having been appointed by 
Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson and served until May 2, 2006.
  Nausead took great pride in community services on numerous boards of 
community organizations and received awards for her work with those 
organizations. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 
which she joined while at Tougaloo College.
  Nausead was preceded in death by her aforementioned parents. She is 
survived by her sister, Doris Anderson; brother, and Thomas J. Stewart, 
Jr.
  Mr. Speaker, on November 10, 2015, we lost a treasure in Nausead. I 
ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing a diligent advocate, a 
conscientious worker, and a selfless servant leader whose life was 
dedicated to the cause of humanity, Nausead Lyvelle Stewart.

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