[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17028]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 17028]]

             JUDGE JAMES H. LINCOLN: A HARBOR BEACH LEGEND

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 13, 2001

  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my dear 
friend, Judge James H. Lincoln, for his myriad achievements in the law 
and politics, and especially for his life-long commitment and devotion 
to the state of Michigan, the residents of his native Harbor Beach and 
to the entire nation.
  Judge Lincoln's storied legal career and his apprenticeship and 
special relationship with Harbor Beach's other famous native son, 
former Governor and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Frank Murphy, are well-
known. In fact, he is the last surviving pall bearer of Frank Murphy. 
Jim also worked hand-in-hand with some of the other more notable names 
in our state's history, including Governor G. Mennen Williams, 
Lieutenant Governor Martha Griffiths and U.S. Senator Blair Moody. 
Moreover, Jim earned a place of honor in historical annals as a 
champion of justice during tenures on the Detroit City Council, the 
Wayne County Board of Supervisors and as a probate judge.
  Impressively, Judge Lincoln is one of only two people in the state of 
Michigan to have a courthouse named after them. In his case, it is the 
James H. Lincoln Hall of Juvenile Justice in Detroit. The other person 
so honored is Jim's mentor, Frank Murphy. A personal highlight of my 
own career began when Jim and I worked closely together to secure funds 
to enable the city of Harbor Beach to acquire the Murphy homestead to 
establish a museum to honor Governor Murphy. We secured a grant for 
$125,000 and Judge Lincoln raised another $125,000 in matching funds to 
preserve the home and exhibit objects associated with the life and 
times of Frank Murphy.
  Of course, Judge Lincoln depended greatly on the loving support of 
his wife, Kim, and children, David, Eddie, Janet and Linda. He is 
credits them as instrumental to his success and we applaud them as 
well. He also is justly proud of a woman whose adoption he granted 
under difficult circumstances. His decision led the way for her to 
later graduate from college and have a fine family of her own. In 
gratitude, she named one of her children after him.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending Judge 
Lincoln for his remarkable achievements and highly laudable fidelity to 
his community and friends. I am confident his work on behalf of his 
mentor, Frank Murphy, will provide many future generations with 
inspiration and life lessons for all, especially for students of 
history, the law and politics.

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