[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 7] [House] [Pages 9893-9895] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]WILLIAM HOLMES BROWN, FORMER PARLIAMENTARIAN OF HOUSE PASSES (Mr. WOLF asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks and include extraneous material.) Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, I am saddened today to announce to our colleagues the passing on May 27 of William Holmes Brown, who served as parliamentarian of the House from 1974 to 1994. He was 71 years of age. Not only did I have the pleasure of working with Bill Brown in the House, but I was also privileged to be his Congressman. He lived at Oakland Green Farm in Lincoln in Loudoun County, Virginia, property which had been in the family for more than eight generations. Bill began his service in the Parliamentarian's Office in 1958 when he was appointed Assistant Parliamentarian by Speaker Sam Rayburn. In 1974, he was named to the position of Parliamentarian by Speaker Carl Albert. He succeeded the legendary Lewis Deschler, with whom he had collaborated in volumes of ``Precedents of the House of Representatives,'' referred to in the House as the Deschler-Brown Precedents. During his years in the House, he served under six Speakers. Besides Speaker Sam Rayburn and Carl Albert, he served under John McCormack, Tip O'Neill, Jim Wright, and Tom Foley. He retired from the House in 1994. During his service in the House, he worked to develop parliamentary projects in newly emerging democratic republics in Eastern Europe, participating in seminars and training programs for representatives of other national legislative bodies. After he retired as Parliamentarian in 1994, he worked for the Agency of International Development on a parliamentary development project in the Ukraine. Members today can thank Bill Brown and thank his staff, many here today, for organizing the Office of the Parliamentarian, moving it into the Computer Age and making the House precedents available online for all to access. Bill was the ultimate professional and dedicated public servant. He was held in the highest regard by Members on both sides of the aisle because his work reflected his dedication to the proposition that the rules of the House should be applied and enforced without political considerations. Bill was born in Huntington, West Virginia. He was a 1951 graduate of Swarthmore College and received his law degree from the University of Chicago. He served on active duty in the Navy from 1954 to 1957 and then served in the Naval Reserve from 1954 to 1974, retiring as a lieutenant commander. He was director of the Conversations at Oatlands organization and the Loudoun Museum and a member of the Catoctin Farmers Club and Goose Creek Friends Meeting. On behalf of the House, and on behalf of Members on both sides of the aisle, and on behalf of Members who served here many, many years ago, Madam Speaker, we send our deepest sympathies to Bill's wife of 30 years, Jean Smith Brown, and their daughter, Sara Holmes Brown. Resignation of the Parliamentarian, the Honorable Wm. Holmes Brown, and Appointment of the Honorable Charles W. Johnson as Parliamentarian (house of representatives--september 20, 1994) The SPEAKER laid before the House the following communication from the Parliamentarian of the House of Representatives, which was read: Hon. Thomas S. Foley, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Speaker: In March of this year, I completed my thirty-sixth year with the House of Representatives. In July, I completed my twentieth year as Parliamentarian. In the past few months, circumstances, both personal and professional, have focused [[Page 9894]] my attention on retirement. It has been a difficult decision to reach, but I have concluded that it's time for a change. The office which I have been privileged to hold continues to be both challenging and rewarding. It is fascinating to encounter--almost daily--fresh interpretations of rules and bill language which require constant evaluation of yesterday's assumptions and conclusions. The House changes from year to year, with new Members and staff and circumstances always reshaping this institution; what does not change is the reservoir of intellect and inventiveness which characterizes those who work in the legislative branch of our government. Daily interaction with such talented people makes the congress a uniquely fascinating place to work. I could not have done this job without a lot of help, without the love and support of my family, who have learned to live with long hours and erratic schedules; without the teamwork at the rostrum and in all the support offices of the House; without the reservoir of personal commitment and professional strength from my colleagues in the Office. Among the deputy and the assistant parliamentarians there is a wealth of experience and talent. Their accumulated service totals over 80 years. Each is dedicated to the proposition that the rules of this great institution should be applied and enforced without political considerations. All are open to Members and staff with respect to the rules and precedents which govern and guide the deliberations of the House and its committees. They are all exemplary public servants; they can and will continue to carry out the responsibilities of the Office in a manner which reflects the best traditions of the House. We share a lasting bond and I will miss these friends whom I admire and care for so deeply. I owe a great debt of gratitude to all the Speakers whom I have been fortunate to know: Sam Rayburn, who first appointed me as an assistant parliamentarian on the recommendation of my legendary predecessor as Parliamentarian, Lewis Deschler; John McCormack, who shared his anecdotes and love of the House during long evening conversations in the Speaker's Rooms; Carl Albert, who had faith enough in my abilities to appoint me as Parliamentarian during a very tumultuous time in the history of the House and has continued to be a valued mentor since his retirement; Thomas P. `Tip' O'Neill, whose good humor and warmth toward me survived some parliamentary decisions which he must have found vexing; Jim Wright, whose eloquence and courage are unflagging. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I must say how much I have valued your friendship and support. You have always been sensitive and faithful to the distinctions between political and parliamentary decisions and your gavel has been both firm and impartial. The opportunities you have given me to interact with other parliamentary institutions, particularly with the newly emerging democratic republics in eastern Europe, have revealed new horizons which I hope to explore more fully in the future. Programs to encourage and foster parliamentary democracy in that area of our world are of critical importance. The House can be proud of the contribution it is making to this effort and if I can be of assistance in these endeavors I will be available to do so. I must acknowledge the courtesies and cooperation shown me by the distinguished Minority leader, Bob Michel. He has always shown an appreciation of the role of our office and he and his staff have been of inestimable support. To have known so many of his predecessors, such distinguished men as Joe Martin, Charley Halleck, John Rhodes and Gerald Ford, has been a rare privilege. All of these Leaders have made the House a better place and have left an indelible mark on its history. I will miss the many friendships with Members that have formed over the years. May I extend to them, through you, my appreciation for their kindnesses. With your concurrence, my termination as Parliamentarian will be effective on September 15, 1994. Very respectfully yours, Wm. Holmes Brown. The SPEAKER. It is with great regret that the Chair accepts the resignation of the distinguished Parliamentarian of the House Wm. Holmes Brown. Pursuant to the provisions of 2 U.S.C. 297a, the Chair announces that on September 16, 1994, he appointed Charles W. Johnson as Parliamentarian of the House of Representatives to succeed Wm. Holmes Brown, resigned. ____ A Warm Farewell to William H. Brown, Parliamentarian (House of Representatives--September 20, 1994) (Mr. MICHEL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. MICHEL. Mr. Speaker, I think the news that was just announced here, that the Parliamentarian of the House is going to retire, comes as a sad note for many of us who have known Bill through all of these years, although I am happy that he is leaving in a commensurate year with my own retirement. He could not be leaving at a better time, from that standpoint. However, things have changed since I first started in this House. At that time the Parliamentarian was Lou Deschler, referred to by those who dared to call him `the Judge.' He was a tough old bird. He would not talk to staff, and he would hardly talk to Members. I remember one time I took him five different versions of an amendment prohibiting food stamps for strikers and said, `Okay, Judge, one of these has got to be in order.' And you see, he had the only copy of all the precedents of the House from 1936 on in his office, and he had all the power. Bill Brown has changed all that. He and his staff have done a magnificent job in compiling and publishing those the Judge had kept hidden. He has done an excellent job organizing the Office of the Parliamentarian and helping the membership. Many of the precedents are now `on-line', available through the House Information System. Bill was born in West Virginia, receiving a bachelor of science degree from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania in 1951. He received his law degree from the University of Chicago, out our way in Illinois, and served in the Naval Reserve with active duty in the Persian Gulf , returning as a lieutenant commander in 1974. Bill was first appointed Assistant Parliamentarian by Speaker Sam Rayburn, and then became Parliamentarian in 1974 under Speaker Albert, and has served under six Speakers of the House. Bill has been a great Parliamentarian, but most do not realize that he is also a farmer. He lives in a 200-year-old home on the Oakland Green Farm, has expanded the log cabin with a stone addition, and later a brick addition. Bill, I am not sure about the aluminum siding you and your lovely wife Jean have now added. The Browns do have one daughter, Sarah, who is currently studying in Kenya. Being a farmer and a Parliamentarian involves a lot of work. He is often late coming in, as he has been birthing calves, or on snowy days he has had to drive his tractor to a main road to get a ride. You cannot miss his car in the Rayburn garage, as it looks like he keeps it in the chicken coop all night. Bill, we are sorely going to miss you, and can imagine your reciting precedents to your cows as the Congress continues writing new ones. I believe we will still use your expertise in attempting to finalize the publishing of the Deschler- Brown precedents, which I will always consider the `Brown volumes.' Taking Bill's place in the top spot is someone who I also have known and argued with many a time, Charlie Johnson. We have had a good laugh telling the story of when Charlie first was working for the Judge, and Lou assigned Charlie the responsibility of compiling old contested election cases. Charlie worked for weeks, researching and writing, only to find out later that they were all neatly compiled in Cannon's precedents. Charlie still works harder than he needs to. He is a good guy and a dedicated worker. He is the perfect choice. Charlie, I hope you will last longer than Lehr Fess, who some of you may not know lasted just a year. Best to you, Bill, and we know, Charlie, John, Tom, and Muftiah will carry on the strong tradition of professionalism and cooperation that you started. ____ Tribute to the Honorable William Holmes Brown, Parliamentarian, on His Retirement (House of Representatives--September 20, 1994) (Mr. FOLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.). Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, nothing gives me greater satisfaction than to hear on this day of retirement of Bill Brown these wonderfully warm words from the Republican leader, because I think the lifeblood of any parliamentary body is the sense that our debates and discussions, the votes and actions taken here, are taken in a context of rules and observance, conventions and procedures, that are fair to each Member of the body. Indeed, I think the history of our House of Representatives, certainly in this recent period, has been one of scrupulous adherence to the rules. As Speaker I have tried to follow that guide of fairness and objectivity in every ruling I have made, and if I had any tendency to veer from that, I would find resistance, very strong resistance, from the Parliamentarians of the House, who are committed in an almost religious sense to ensuring that the rules are absolutely impartially observed here, I think there is a record, perhaps, of the fact that this body has hardly ever overruled the Chair, and that in those cases where there sometimes has been a question of moving to override the Chair, Republican leadership has often joined with our Members and Republican Members have joined with Democratic Members in supporting the Chair. Certainly no small part of the credit for this belongs to Bill Brown. He has been an absolutely sterling Parliamentarian in every way. He has served six Speakers. He has been in this body for almost a longer period than [[Page 9895]] virtually anyone. There are few Members and very few professional staff who have served as long. He begins his retirement with the best wishes and warm affection of an overwhelming number of Members and those who serve with him in aiding this body to achieve its objectives. He has compiled, as Bob Michel says, the precedents of the House. They are now available for all. He has in recent months been a special resource of assistance to emerging parliamentary democracies in Eastern Europe. I think he has found great satisfaction and opportunity for additional service in that work. Charlie Johnson, his very long-time Assistant Parliamentarian, has our full confidence on both sides of the aisle, and I have made his appointment with great satisfaction; and if it is time, in Bill Brown's judgment, to leave, that a successor as worthy and able and committed and dedicated as Charlie Johnson stands ready to assume the responsibilities. Mr. Speaker, I want to extend again, not only on my own behalf but on the behalf of all Members of this House, my thanks and my appreciation and my warmest best wishes to Bill Brown, and every success and happiness for him and Jean in the years that lie ahead. Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, I want to join you and the minority leader in recognizing the more than 36 years of service parliamentarian Bill Brown has given to this House. Bill is retiring this week after serving in the Parliamentarian's office since 1958. He was Assistant Parliamentarian from 1958-1974 and then was appointed to the position of Parliamentarian by House Speaker Carl Albert in 1974. During those years, Bill served under six House Speakers, including Sam Rayburn, John McCormack, Carl Albert, Tip O'Neill, Jim Wright and Tom Foley. Bill has been successful over the years in making sure the Parliamentarian's office remained nonpartisan in its duties of advising the Speaker, all Members of Congress, committees and staff on Constitutional questions and rules of order within this House. He is held in high regard by Members on both sides of the aisle. In addition to those responsibilities, Bill was involved in recent years in projects involving parliamentary development in several Eastern European republics. He and his support personnel have participated in seminars and training programs in Poland, Estonia and Romania, as these countries and others move toward democracy. Bill is a graduate of Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania and the University of Chicago Law School. He served on active duty in the U.S. Navy from 1954-57 and then served in the naval Reserve from 1954-74, retiring as a lieutenant commander. It has been a great honor to get to know Bill Brown on a personal level. I consider him a close friend and certainly will miss the wise counsel he has given me over the years. He is one of the true unsung heroes who make things work around the people's House. We will miss Bill, but he has earned his retirement. I salute Bill Brown on a job well done and wish Bill, Jean, and Sara the best in the future. ____ William Holmes Brown; House Parliamentarian [From the Washington Post, Tuesday, May 29, 2001] William Holmes Brown, 71, parliamentarian of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1974 until 1994 and author of ``House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents and Procedures of the House,'' died of a vascular ailment May 27 at Loudoun Hospital Center. He lived at Oakland Green Farm, the Lincoln property his family has owned for more than eight generations. Mr. Brown served under six speakers of the House as an adviser on procedure and practice. He began as assistant parliamentarian in 1958 and collaborated with parliamentarian Lewis Deschler in volumes of ``Precedents of the House of Representatives.'' They are referred to in the House as the Deschler-Brown Precedents. Mr. Brown also worked on behalf of the House on parliamentary development projects in Eastern Europe and Mozambique. he participated in seminars in Poland, Estonia, Slovakia, Albania and Romania and in training programs in the United States for representatives of other national legislative bodies. After he retired, he worked for the Agency for International Development on a parliamentary development project in Ukraine. Mr. Brown was a native of Huntington, W.Va. He was a graduate of Swarthmore College and the University of Chicago's law school. He served in the Navy in the Middle East and the Mediterranean and remained in the Navy Reserve until 1974. He was a director of the Conversations a Oaklands organization and the Loudoun Museum and a member of the Catoctin Farmers Club and the Goose Creek Friends Meeting. Survivors include his wife of 30 years, Jean Smith Brown, and a daughter, Sara Holmes Brown, both of Lincoln. ____________________