[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 21696-21698]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 NATHANIEL R. JONES AND FRANK J. BATTISTI FEDERAL BUILDING AND UNITED 
                           STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. REHBERG. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 852) to designate the Federal building and United States 
courthouse to be constructed at 10 East Commerce Street in Youngstown, 
Ohio, as the ``Nathaniel R. Jones and Frank J. Battisti Federal 
Building and United States Courthouse''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 852

       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 and United States courthouse to be 
     constructed at 10 East Commerce Street in Youngstown, Ohio, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Nathaniel R. Jones and 
     Frank J. Battisti Federal Building and United States 
     Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the Federal building 
     and United States courthouse referred to in section 1 shall 
     be deemed to be a reference to the ``Nathaniel R. Jones and 
     Frank J. Battisti Federal Building and United States 
     Courthouse''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rehberg) and the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Tauscher) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rehberg).
  Mr. REHBERG. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 852 designates the Federal building and United 
States courthouse to be constructed at 10 East Commerce Street in 
Youngstown, Ohio, as the Nathaniel R. Jones and Frank J. Battisti 
Federal Building and United States Courthouse.
  Judge Nathaniel R. Jones was born in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1926. After 
serving in the United States Air Force during World War II, he earned 
his undergraduate degree and law degree from Youngstown State 
University. Judge Jones was the editor of the Buckeye

[[Page 21697]]

Review newspaper before serving as executive director of the Fair 
Employment Commission in the city of Youngstown. He also served on the 
Mayor's Human Rights Commission.
  Judge Jones had a distinguished legal career before being appointed 
to the Federal bench. He was in private practice for 2 years; he served 
as Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio 
from 1961 until 1967; as general counsel for the NAACP on civil 
disorder; and as general counsel of the NAACP for 10 years.
  In 1979, Judge Jones was appointed to the United States Court of 
Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. While sitting on the Federal bench, 
Judge Jones has been active in legal education at Case Western Reserve 
University School of Law, City University of New York School of Law, 
University of Cincinnati College of Law, Harvard Law School, North 
Carolina Central Law School, Indiana University School of Law, Northern 
Kentucky State University Salmon P. Chase College of Law, and Nova 
University Law Center in Florida. He has also received numerous honors 
and awards from universities throughout the United States.
  In 1985, Judge Jones traveled to South Africa on behalf of the 
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, where he was a legal observer at a 
treason trial. He has continued to be active in civil rights law in 
South Africa. Judge Jones took senior status in 1995 and maintains a 
busy docket.
  The second judge being honored with this courthouse designation is 
Frank J. Battisti. Judge Battisti was born in Youngstown, Ohio, and 
graduated from Ohio University. He then went on to earn his law degree 
at Harvard University. In 1950, he was admitted to the Ohio bar and 
served as Ohio Assistant Attorney General. In the early 1950s, Judge 
Battisti was a legal advisor for the Army Corps of Engineers. He also 
entered private practice and started teaching at Youngstown University 
Law School until he was elected a Common Pleas judge in 1958.
  In 1961, President Kennedy appointed Judge Battisti to the Federal 
bench. At the time he was the youngest Federal appointed judge. He 
served as Chief Judge from 1969 until 1990, and took senior status that 
April. Judge Battisti presided over the Cleveland public school 
desegregation case, a public housing desegregation case, and in 1974, 
the trial of eight members of the Ohio National Guard accused of 
violating the civil rights of four Kent State students who were shot 
during student demonstrations in 1970. Judge Battisti passed away on 
October 19, 1994.
  This is a fitting honor for two extraordinary Federal judges from 
Youngstown. Similar legislation passed the House last year, but was 
never enacted. I support this bill, and ask my colleagues to support it 
as well.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. TAUSCHER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I support H.R. 852, a bill to designate the new 
courthouse and Federal building under construction in Youngstown, Ohio, 
as the Nathaniel R. Jones and Frank J. Battisti Federal Building and 
United States Courthouse.
  These two native sons of Youngstown, Ohio, have contributed to the 
excellence of the judicial system and dedicated their lives to 
preserving the notion of equal justice under the law.
  Judge Battisti was born and brought up in Youngstown. After attending 
Ohio University, in 1950 he received his J.D. from Harvard Law School. 
Judge Battisti was Assistant Attorney General and a law instructor at 
Youngstown State University. Later in his career, he was elected judge 
of the Common Pleas Court of Mahoning County, Ohio.
  In 1961, he was appointed to the United States District Court for the 
Northern District of Ohio by President Kennedy. In 1969 he became the 
Chief Judge.
  Judge Nathaniel Jones was also born and brought up in Youngstown and 
is a World War II veteran.
  His civic and public appointments include serving as director of the 
Fair Employment Practices Commission and executive director of the 
Mayor's Human Rights Commission.
  Attorney General Robert Kennedy appointed Judge Jones as an Assistant 
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, based in Cleveland.
  In 1969 Roy Wilkins, executive director of the NAACP, asked Judge 
Jones to serve as the NAACP's general counsel. Judge Jones accepted the 
offer and served at the NAACP for a decade, from 1969 until 1979. In 
1979, President Carter appointed Judge Jones to the U.S. Court of 
Appeals, Sixth Circuit. Both gentlemen have been active in numerous 
community and civic organizations. They were personal friends and 
professional colleagues. It is very fitting and proper that we support 
this naming bill, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting 
H.R. 852.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. REHBERG. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. TAUSCHER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Brown).
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, naming a Federal courthouse in 
Youngstown after Nathaniel Jones and Frank Battisti is an ideal way to 
mark the contributions these men have made to their profession and 
their communities. Judge Nathaniel Jones once said he ``saw law as a 
way to effect meaningful changes in society and shape the destiny of 
individuals locked into second class status.''
  The son of a steelworker and World War II veteran, Judge Jones spent 
his career as an advocate for better, fairer schools and 
discrimination-free workplaces. He worked alongside some of the 
greatest legal minds of our time, including Supreme Court Justice 
Thurgood Marshall.
  His accomplishments as the general counsel to the NAACP caught the 
attention of President Carter, who appointed him to the U.S. Court of 
Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. President Carter recognized that Judge 
Jones's exceptional understanding of how the legal process could remedy 
some of society's shortcomings would serve the country well on the 
bench. Many of us who have known Judge Jones over his career believe 
that if President Carter would have been reelected in 1980, he would 
have chosen Judge Jones to be a member of the United States Supreme 
Court.
  We can say the same kinds of accolades about Judge Battisti, who had 
the same kind of passion for social justice. He was an outstanding 
public servant appointed by President Kennedy. Judge Battisti never 
shied away from controversy. As others mentioned, his career on the 
bench included rulings on the antiwar protest at Kent State University 
and ending school desegregation in Cleveland.
  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Traficant) and others, for giving us an opportunity to pay tribute to 
these distinguished sons of Ohio.
  Mrs. TAUSCHER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Traficant).
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Madam Speaker, both of these men contributed 
tremendously to desegregation of public schools in the United States of 
America. Most importantly, both of them were Youngstown, Ohio, natives, 
born and raised there, and very well respected. The community is very 
pleased that this Federal building and U.S. courthouse is being named 
in their honor. I think the most important thing that can be said about 
both is that they were not afraid to tackle controversial issues. When 
we talk about desegregation, our Congress looks towards fairness in 
America; these were two of the trailblazers of desegregation.
  Their participation at their respective levels had a trickle-down 
effect on this entire Nation, and that would be the legacy probably of 
both men. Hopefully, this bill will be passed into law, and I believe 
it would signal the first time that a U.S. Federal building and 
courthouse has been named for both an outstanding African American and 
white member of the Federal bench. That in itself would be a 
significant landmark. It would be a fine building.

[[Page 21698]]

  Madam Speaker, I ask for the House to move this bill through the 
other body so that this great building can be named for these two 
outstanding members of our Federal court system.
  Mr. PORTMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 
852, legislation to name the federal building and U.S. courthouse to be 
built in downtown Youngstown, Ohio after former Federal Judge Frank J. 
Battisti and United States Court of Appeals Judge Nathaniel R. Jones. 
Both Judge Battisti and Judge Jones are natives of Youngstown, Ohio, 
and naming this federal building and courthouse after them would be a 
source of pride for the residents of that fine city.
  Judge Battisti served in many capacities during his distinguished 
career. None was more notable than his tenure as Chief Judge of the 
United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
  Judge Nathaniel Jones is a personal friend. I have had the pleasure 
of working with him on the National underground Railroad Freedom Center 
project in Cincinnati, Ohio and on other projects. Judge Jones serves 
as the Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Freedom Center and his 
leadership has been critical. Through my work with the Freedom Center, 
I have come to admire Judge Jones for his commitment to racial healing 
and cooperation.
  Judge Jones was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. He served in the 
U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II, and later went on to attend 
Youngstown State University where he received undergraduate and law 
degrees. Judge Jones later went on to serve as General Counsel for the 
NAACP where he helped coordinate efforts to end school segregation. In 
1979, President Carter appointed him to serve on the United States 
Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit where he serves to this day.
  I have great respect for Judge Jones. In all of his accomplishments, 
perhaps none rank higher than his wife Lillian and their four wonderful 
children, one of whom--Stephanie J. Jones--is chief of staff for our 
colleague, Stephanie Tubbs Jones. There are few people more dedicated 
to public service than Judge Jones.
  The naming of the federal building and courthouse in Youngstown, Ohio 
after Judge Battisti and Judge Jones is a fitting tribute to two worthy 
men. I thank my colleague Jim Traficant for introducing this measure 
and my colleague Steven LaTourette for helping move the bill to the 
floor. I am honored to co-sponsor this legislation, and am grateful to 
see us take action on it.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure and honor to 
stand in support of H.R. 852, which names the Federal Building and 
United States Courthouse in Youngstown, Ohio after my dear friend Judge 
Nathaniel R. Jones and the late Judge Frank Battisti. No two men are 
worthier of this recognition.
  It is particularly significant that this courthouse is being named 
after these two wonderful sons of Youngstown who have done so much for 
their community and for our nation. It is my understanding that this is 
the first time anywhere in the country that the names of two people of 
different races have been joined together to name a federal building. 
How fitting this is. Judge Battisti devoted his life--often at great 
cost--to reaching across the racial divide and to removing those 
divides altogether. Judge Jones has committed himself to securing 
justice for all and healing a divided nation. I am so pleased that 
these two men will be honored together in this way.
  This bill has particular meaning to me, professionally and 
personally. I first came to know both Judge Jones and Judge Battisti 
through their involvement in the landmark school desegregation case in 
my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Judge Battisti showed great courage in 
his rulings and his willingness to force the overhaul of an illegally 
segregated school system, not a popular thing to do at the time. And 
Judge Jones' commitment to the law for the highest purposes earned my 
admiration long before I knew him personally.
  Over the years, I have come to know this thoughtful, generous and 
humble man and am proud to say that he is my mentor and friend. He's 
also the father of my Chief of Staff Stephanie J. Jones. Judge Jones 
and I often joke about the unlikely coincidence of Stephanie and I 
sharing the same name. In fact, he now refers to me as his ``other 
daughter,'' as honorary title I'm proud to hold.
  Judge Jones has traveled the world, counseled Presidents, walked with 
great leaders, earned the respect of all who know him and achieved 
great renown. Yet he has never forgotten his roots and the lessons he 
learned at his mother's knee. He has always lived by the simple 
admonition he learned in Sunday School--``brighten the corner where you 
are.''
  I had the pleasure of meeting Judge Jones' mother, Lillian Brown 
Jones Rafe not long before she died and, through her, came to 
appreciate even more the son she called her ``keen-eyed child.'' This 
great-grandson of slaves, whose parents moved from the rural south to 
Youngstown, Ohio seeking opportunities for their children, has risen to 
heights even a proud mother never imagined, but has never forgotten his 
roots. Through it all, he remains a child of Youngstown.
  It is appropriate that less than two miles away from the street on 
which he was born, along the route his weary but determined mother 
walked selling household products and newspaper subscriptions to 
support her family during the Depression, up the street from the movie 
theater his father cleaned at night, on a site where he played as a 
boy, near the small office in which he once toiled as editor of the 
Buckeye Review newspaper, down the hill from Youngstown University, 
where he earned his bachelor and law degrees (and fought for equal 
rights for all students), across the square from the small building 
that housed his first law office, a few miles from his beloved parents 
gravesite, will stand a United States Courthouse engraved with the name 
of Nathaniel R. Jones.
  It is truly an honor and a pleasure for me to stand in support of 
this bill honoring my friend Judge Nathaniel Jones and the late Judge 
Frank Battisti. This Courthouse, like the remarkable men for which it 
is named, will brighten its corner, where it will long stand as a 
reminder and beacon to all who desire and work for justice, equality 
and mercy.
  Mrs. TAUSCHER. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. REHBERG. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rehberg) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 852.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. REHBERG. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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