[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 16]
[House]
[Pages 22299-22301]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  JAMES L. WATSON UNITED STATES COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE BUILDING

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 2841) to designate the building located at 1 Federal 
Plaza in New York, New York, as the ``James L. Watson United States 
Court of International Trade Building.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2841

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The building located at 1 Federal Plaza in New York, New 
     York, shall be known and designated as the ``James L. Watson 
     United States Court of International Trade Building''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the building referred 
     to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to the 
     ``James L. Watson United States Court of International Trade 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 2841 designates the building located at 1 Federal 
Plaza in New York as the ``James L. Watson United States Court of 
International Trade Building.'' I thank the ranking member and senior 
member of the Committee on Ways and Means, the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Rangel), for bringing this legislation to the attention of the 
committee and urging that we move on it in an expeditious fashion.
  Judge Watson was born in Harlem, New York. He was the son of parents 
that had both been born in Jamaica, and his father served as a 
municipal court judge for 18 years. Judge Watson served with the 
Buffalo Soldiers in the 371st Infantry Regiment, 92nd Division, in 
World War II. He was wounded in Italy and returned to the United States 
decorated with a Purple Heart and the Infantry Combat Badge.
  After returning from the war, he graduated from New York University 
in 1947 and Brooklyn Law School in 1951. Judge Watson was elected to 
the New York State Senate in 1954. While serving in the State Senate, 
in 1962 President John Kennedy chose him to accompany Vice President 
Johnson to

[[Page 22300]]

the Jamaican Independence celebration. In 1963, Judge Watson was 
elected to the New York City Civil Court.
  He served on the City Civil Court until President Johnson appointed 
him to what was known as the United States Customs Court and that is 
now known as the United States Court of International Trade in 1966. 
The nine members of the United States Customs Court could be assigned 
to sit in any Federal District Court in the Nation.
  Because of his previous experience in the City Civil Court, in his 
first year on the Federal bench, Judge Watson was assigned to hear 
cases in California, Oregon, Washington, Atlanta, Tampa, Houston, El 
Paso, San Antonio and Dallas on civil and criminal matters. He was the 
first African American to sit on the Federal bench in the deep South.
  Judge Watson worked to help modernize his court under the Customs 
Court Act of 1970. As chairman of the Court's Rules and Practices 
Committee, he reworked the rules and facilitated the modernization of 
the court with the introduction of computers. He took senior status in 
1991. He passed away in Harlem earlier this year.
  Madam Speaker, Judge Watson was a dedicated Federal judge and an 
exemplary public servant. This action is fitting to designate the Court 
of International Trade Building in his honor. I support the bill and 
urge my colleagues to do the same.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I am in strong support of H.R. 2841, sponsored by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel). Madam Speaker, what a great 
feeling to start out in the judge's chambers as a law clerk, and be 
able to come to the floor of the House of Representatives to introduce 
legislation that would be a fitting response, a fitting response to 
years of service and dedication.
  Judge Watson served on the United States Court of International 
Trade. It was a lifetime appointment by President Lyndon Johnson. He 
was a former New York State Senator and a civil court judge. His career 
spanned 36 years, and he set a record of 70 appearances serving as a 
visiting judge in districts around this great Nation.
  On several occasions, he was the first African American judge to hold 
court in parts of the deep South, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. 
Compassion and evenhandedness are the best mirror when one holds it up 
to his decisions and written documents which he placed into the record. 
In World War II, yes, he served as an infantryman with the legendary 
black 92nd Buffalo Soldiers Division. What a legacy they left this 
great democracy.
  He was seriously wounded in combat in Italy and received the Purple 
Heart, the Battle Star, the Combat Infantry Badge and a U.S. Army 
commendation. He attended New York University and Brooklyn Law School. 
Upon graduation, he established a private practice with retired Judge 
Bruce Wright; Lisle Carter, former Assistant Secretary of the 
Department of Health and Human Services; and Jacob Smith.
  This is a very special dedication today. In March 1966, President 
Johnson named Judge Watson to the United States Customs Court, which 
was later renamed the Court of International Trade. During his year on 
the International Court, Judge Watson helped develop a modern court 
system, rewrote many of the court's rules, and introduced computers 
into the court.
  He was noted for a judicial style that was very fair and very 
balanced. His personal ability to settle many civil cases out of court 
helped avoid costly expenses and the unpredictability of an often-long 
trial. He was a lifelong resident of Harlem, a sought-after public 
speaker, and an insightful adviser to all local politicians. His family 
is well known and very active in civic affairs. His cousins include 
Bruce Llewellyn, chairman of Coca-Cola; Secretary of State Colin 
Powell; and Dorothy Llewellyn Cropper, a New York Supreme Court 
Justice.
  His life was full of success, friendship, his devoted family and his 
loving wife. It is fitting and proper to honor the distinguished Judge 
Watson with this designation.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel).
  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, this is a great privilege and honor for 
me, and one that I have never really enjoyed before, to talk about a 
friend that has passed away and at the same time to talk about trying 
to leave something that is made out of steel and concrete as a memory 
for him.
  This is difficult because Judge Watson was anything but a monument. 
He was just a living example of what a great country that we live in. 
It is true, as the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Pascrell) said, he came from a family that is well known, a family of 
hard workers and high achievers. But still that same family, as the 
gentleman pointed out, really never left the Harlem community. They 
were always there as mentors for those who wanted to help themselves.
  Judge Watson served as a guide and a symbol of what can happen in 
this great country when people try to make something out of their 
lives. So whether he was a lawyer or whether he was a judge, he was 
always somebody that we just called plain old ``Skiz.''
  It is remarkable how his family was able to visit with him, his 
daughter Chris and other daughter Karen, while he was on his death bed. 
I have never in my life heard of anyone that was leaving that was so 
concerned about his friends and family that he mapped out everything 
that he would like to see happen before he left us, and had a chance to 
tell each and every one how much he loved them.
  Madam Speaker, I just think that it is fitting that all of the judges 
have come together to request that this building that they have worked 
in, the International Trade Court, be named after one of them because 
he was representative of all of their feelings. Even though he did 
retire in name only, on the complex cases he was called in, and he 
welcomed the opportunity to continue to serve as he served in combat 
and was wounded and received the Purple Heart for his World War II 
services.
  If there was any award that we could possibly give a civilian that 
loved his country and his community until literally the day that he 
died, then Skiz, or Judge Watson, would be the person.
  It is a privilege for me from the community, from the City and State 
of New York, to be the sponsor of this legislation. Its passage would 
mean that generations to follow will know who Skiz was and what he 
meant to our great country.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) for 
being here, because this is a proposal that is presented with heartfelt 
knowledge of a great American.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1630

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Madam Speaker, I again thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) 
for bringing this matter to our attention. I thank the chairman of the 
full committee, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), and the 
distinguished ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. 
Oberstar), as well as my good friend, the gentleman from New Jersey 
(Mr. Pascrell).
  I urge all Members to support this legislation.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, H.R. 2841 is a bill to designate the 
court of international trade in New York City in honor of Judge James 
L. Watson. Judge Watson, a native New Yorker born in Harlem in 1922, 
lived and worked his entire life in New York. He served in the New York 
State Senate and as a Civil Court Judge before his appointment by

[[Page 22301]]

President Johnson to the federal bench in 1966.
  During World War II, he served in the legendary Buffalo Soldiers 
Division. He was awarded the Purple Heart, the Battle Star, the Combat 
Infantry Badge, and a U.S. Army commendation. After the war, he began 
private practice and became actively involved in local politics. In 
1963, he was appointed to the Civil Court of New York and hired our 
Colleague Charlie Rangel as one of his staff attorneys. During his 
years on the Court of International Trade, he modernized the court 
system and played a major role in rewriting the court's rules. He was 
instrumental in introducing computers into judicial activity .
  Judge Watson was the Nation's most senior African-American federal 
judge. He enjoyed a national reputation for handling our fair 
sentences. He was a sought-after public speaker, served on the Board of 
Visitors of Fordham University, and on the board of the Harlem YMCA. 
His colleagues, politicians, and even other lawyers, sought his wise 
advice and safe counsel. Judge Watson's life serves as a model of 
diligence, hard work, and fairness.
  It is a well-deserved honor to designate the very building in which 
Judge Watson served with distinction for over three decades as the 
``James L. Watson United States Court of International Trade 
Building.''
  I urge all Members to support this bill.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). 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. 2841.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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