[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 9] [House] [Pages 12545-12546] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]ADRIAN A. SPEARS JUDICIAL TRAINING CENTER Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1959) to designate the Federal building located at 743 East Durango Boulevard in San Antonio, Texas, as the ``Adrian A. Spears Judicial Training Center,'' as amended. The Clerk read as follows: H.R. 1959 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. DESIGNATION. The Federal building located at 643 East Durango Boulevard in San Antonio, Texas, shall be known and designated as the ``Adrian A. Spears Judicial Training Center''. SEC. 2. REFERENCES. Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other record of the United States to the Federal building referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``Adrian A. Spears Judicial Training Center''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette). Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1959, as amended, designates the Federal building located at 643 East Durango Boulevard in San Antonio, Texas as the ``Adrian A. Spears Judicial Training Center.'' Adrian Spears was born in Darlington, South Carolina, on July 8, 1910. He attended local schools, graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1929, and the South Carolina School of Law in 1934. After practicing law in South Carolina for 2 years, he moved to San Antonio in 1937 and practiced law there until his appointment by President Kennedy to the Federal bench in 1961. The Senate confirmed his appointment in 1962, the same year that he became chief judge, a position that he held until 1979. He was the longest-serving chief judge and will hold that distinction indefinitely, since current law prohibits a judge from serving as chief judge for longer than 7 years. He assumed senior status in 1979 and retired from the Federal bench in 1982, when he became vice president of an oil company, a position that he held until his death in 1991. Judge Spears was a member in good standing of the Texas State bar, a member of the Judicial Conference Committee on the Administration of Criminal Law, served on the Federal Judicial Center Board, and was the recipient of the Rosewood Gavel Award, St. Mary's School of Law. This is a fitting honor to a dedicated public servant. I support this bill, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 1959, a bill to designate the Judicial Training Center in San Antonio, Texas, in honor of Judge Adrian A. Spears. President John Kennedy appointed Judge Spears to the Federal bench in 1961. Judge Spears distinguished himself for 22 years as the United States District Judge in the Western District of Texas; and for 17 of those years Judge Spears served as the Chief Judge. He was also a member of the Emergency Court of Appeals, the Judicial Conference of the United States Commission on Administration Justice, president of the 5th Circuit District Judges Association, and president of the San Antonio Bar Association. Judge Spears was born in South Carolina and attended undergraduate school and law school at the University of North Carolina. In 1937 he moved to San Antonio and became an integral part of the community. He was respected by his colleagues and admired for his dedication and diligence in attending to the needs of the Federal courts in the 5th circuit. In 1998 the San Antonio Bar Association passed a resolution to petition the local elected Federal officials to sponsor suitable legislation to name a facility in his honor. It is most fitting and proper to honor Judge Spears with this designation, and I strongly urge support for H.R. 1959. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez). Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), as well as members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, Hazardous Materials and Pipeline Transportation, and the entire Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for the action on this legislation. This bill, which I introduced in May of last year, would designate the Federal Judicial Training Center located at 643 East Durango Boulevard in San Antonio, Texas, as the Adrian A. Spears Judicial Training Center. Judge Spears was the epitome of an outstanding and truly dedicated United States district judge. As Chief Judge of the Western District of Texas, Judge Spears' career was highlighted by a commitment to ensuring fairness and justice in the courtrooms under his jurisdiction. To many of those who practiced in his courtroom, Judge Spears will forever be remembered for his desire to maintain a standard of professionalism second to none. He taught all of us that demanding our best effort in behalf of our individual client was the surest way of assuring justice for all, and he led by example. He felt he needed to take the extra steps to ensure that he was being fair, not only to the Government, but also to the defendant. To that extent, he was meticulous about his preparation; and he paid particular attention to detail. In fact, I have heard that Judge Spears' secretary would often bring three or four briefcases filled with pretrial work for the next day's caseload for Judge Spears to review. Judge Spears would go through each document in the file, reading everything, including probation reports, so that he would not have to rely solely on the attorneys' oral reports in open court. Adrian Anthony Spears was born on July 8, 1910, in Darlington, South Carolina. After graduating from the University of North Carolina in 1929 and South Carolina Law School in 1934, he practiced law in Darlington until 1936. In 1937, Adrian Spears moved to San Antonio where he continued in private practice until President John F. Kennedy appointed him United States District Judge in 1961. It was an opportunity which came as the result of a 1961 congressional act creating a third judgeship for the Western District of Texas. Judge Spears became Chief Judge of the Western District in 1962 and served in that capacity until 1979, a record 17 years. In addition to serving as U.S. District Judge for a total of 22 years, Judge Spears was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Judicial Center, the temporary Emergency [[Page 12546]] Court of Appeals, the Judicial Conference of the United States Mission on the Administration of Criminal Law, the Committee to Consider Standards for Admission to Practice in Federal Courts, and a member of the faculty of the Seminar for Newly Appointed Judges. From 1959 to 1960, Judge Spears also served as president of the San Antonio Bar Association. Upon his retirement from Federal judicial service on December 31, 1982, Judge Spears joined the oil company Tetco as the vice president and served there in that capacity until his death on May 9, 1991. While his judicial accomplishments alone are noteworthy, it is also his tireless efforts and commitment to improving and expanding the facilities of the Federal court system in San Antonio that merits this proper and long overdue recognition of Judge Spears' contributions to San Antonio. In fact, it was Judge Spears' guidance that the United States Pavilion, now the John H. Wood, Jr. United States Courthouse, was acquired and made part of the Federal Judicial Complex in San Antonio after Hemisfair in 1968. Mr. Speaker, this is truly a fitting honor to bestow upon Judge Adrian Anthony Spears. Finally, I want to take this opportunity to recognize his family, particularly his sons Monroe and Jimmy and his daughters, Sally and Carol. Without great elaboration I do need to tell my colleagues that two of his children are lawyers, one of his granddaughters is presently in law school, but many of his nephews and great nephews have distinguished themselves both as lawyers in the community and as jurists. Mr. Speaker, I urge Congress to pass H.R. 1959, and I would like to offer special thanks to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sandlin), my fellow Texan, for his assistance and that of his staff. Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez). Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1959, which would rename a part of the San Antonio Federal Building as the Adrian A. Spears Judicial Training Center. Judge Spears was an outstanding and dedicated U.S. district judge. Judge Spears holds the record as the longest serving chief judge for the western district of Texas. He moved to San Antonio in the years before World War II and lived there until his death in 1991. He was appointed by President Kennedy and confirmed by the Senate in 1962; and he remained on the bench until 1979, after which he assumed senior status until 1982. Judge Spears was a highly respected jurist who is worthy of this permanent honor. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity also to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez) for his efforts on this particular piece of legislation, and I would indicate that Judge Spears should be honored for his tireless efforts for this country and the work that he accomplished. I encourage all of my colleagues to support the legislation as we move forward in memorializing Judge Spears. Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1959, as amended. The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed. The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to designate the Federal building located at 643 East Durango Boulevard in San Antonio, Texas, as the `Adrian A. Spears Judicial Training Center'.''. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________