[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10168-10173]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 320) honoring the life and achievements of Dr. John 
Hope Franklin.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 320

       Whereas Dr. John Hope Franklin was born on January 2, 1915, 
     in Rentiesville, Oklahoma, the grandson of a slave and the 
     son of Buck Colbert Franklin, one of the first Black lawyers 
     in the Oklahoma Indian territory, and Mollie Parker Franklin, 
     a schoolteacher and community leader;
       Whereas Dr. John Hope Franklin, a noted historian, made 
     significant academic and civic contributions that helped 
     integrate the African-American narrative into American 
     history;
       Whereas Dr. John Hope Franklin was a graduate of Fisk 
     University and a recipient of a Ph.D. degree in history from 
     Harvard University;
       Whereas in 1936, Dr. John Hope Franklin was appointed to 
     the faculty of Fisk University as Instructor of History and 
     subsequently served as Professor of History at St. 
     Augustine's College, North Carolina Central University, and 
     Howard University;
       Whereas in 1956, Dr. John Hope Franklin became the Chairman 
     of the Department of History at Brooklyn College, the first 
     African-American to lead a department at a predominately 
     White institution and later became the first African-American 
     professor to hold an endowed chair at Duke University;
       Whereas in 1964, Dr. John Hope Franklin joined the faculty 
     of the University of Chicago, serving as Professor of 
     American History, Chairman of the Department of History from 
     1967 to 1970, and the John Matthews Manly Distinguished 
     Service Professor from 1969 to 1982 when he became Professor 
     Emeritus of History;
       Whereas in 1982, Dr. John Hope Franklin joined the faculty 
     at Duke University and served until his passing, holding such 
     positions as the James B. Duke Professor of History, 
     Professor of Legal History at Duke University Law School, the 
     James B. Duke Professor of History Emeritus, Duke University;
       Whereas Dr. John Hope Franklin's numerous publications 
     include ``From Slavery to Freedom: A History of Negro 
     Americans'', widely considered the preeminent history of the 
     African-American experience in the United States, ``The 
     Emancipation Proclamation'', ``The Militant South'', ``The 
     Free Negro in North Carolina'', ``Reconstruction After the 
     Civil War'', ``A Southern Odyssey: Travelers in the Ante-
     bellum North'', and his influential autobiography ``Mirror to 
     America: The Autobiography of John Hope Franklin'';
       Whereas Dr. John Hope Franklin's research contributed to 
     the success of

[[Page 10169]]

     Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP's legal victory in the 
     landmark 1954 Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of 
     Education, which ended the ``separate but equal'' doctrine in 
     America's public schools;
       Whereas Dr. John Hope Franklin was active in numerous 
     professional and educational organizations including serving 
     as President of The Organization of American Historians, the 
     American Studies Association, the Southern Historical 
     Association, the United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa, and the 
     first African-American to serve as President of the American 
     Historical Association;
       Whereas Dr. John Hope Franklin served on many national 
     commissions and delegations, including the National Council 
     on the Humanities, Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, 
     and as chair of President Clinton's Race Initiative Advisory 
     Board in 1997;
       Whereas Dr. John Hope Franklin was the recipient of 
     numerous awards and accolades, including the Presidential 
     Medal of Freedom in 1995, the inaugural W.E.B. DuBois Award 
     from Fisk University Alumni Association, the Organization of 
     American Historians' Award for Outstanding Achievement, the 
     Alpha Phi Alpha Award of Merit, the NAACP's Spingarn Medal, 
     and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the American Academy of 
     Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society in 
     2007;
       Whereas in 1996, Dr. John Hope Franklin was named 
     ``Historian of the Century'' by Duke University, North 
     Carolina State University, North Carolina Central University, 
     and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill;
       Whereas in 1998, Dr. John Hope Franklin was inducted into 
     the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame;
       Whereas Dr. John Hope Franklin inspired the John Hope 
     Franklin Center for Interdisciplinary & International Studies 
     at Duke University, a consortium of academic programs that 
     encourage creative scholarship, the exchange of ideas, and a 
     variety of perspectives and methodologies to revitalize 
     notions of how knowledge is gain and shared;
       Whereas Dr. Franklin described historians as ``the 
     conscience of the nation, if honesty and consistency are 
     factors that nurture the conscience'', and his contributions 
     to the study of American history fundamentally challenged and 
     changed the manner in which the Nation collectively 
     interprets its past and understands its present;
       Whereas Dr. John Hope Franklin was a true scholar and 
     soldier for justice whose chronicling of American history 
     affirmed the dignity of Black people while giving us all a 
     richer understanding of who we are as Americans and our 
     journey as a people;
       Whereas generations of young historians have been inspired 
     and personally influenced by Dr. Franklin's keen intellect, 
     graceful humility, and humor in the classroom, and will 
     ensure the endurance of his towering legacy; and
       Whereas Dr. John Hope Franklin passed away on March 25, 
     2009, in Durham, North Carolina, and will be deeply missed: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) honors the life and achievements of Dr. John Hope 
     Franklin; and
       (2) encourages the Nation to recognize his academic 
     contributions, scholarship, and service to the American 
     society and history.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LYNCH. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with deep respect that I rise in support of House 
Resolution 320, which celebrates the life of legendary scholar, 
professor, author and historian, Dr. John Hope Franklin. I would first 
like to thank my colleague and friend from North Carolina, Congressman 
Mel Watt, for sponsoring this afternoon's condolence measure which has 
amassed over 90 cosponsors since being introduced on April 2nd, 2009. I 
would also like to thank Congressman David Price and Congresswoman 
Barbara Lee and Senator Kay Hagan for cosponsoring similar legislation. 
The outpouring of bipartisan support surely speaks to Dr. Franklin's 
legacy.
  Dr. Franklin was more than a historian. His academic and civic 
contributions helped integrate the African American narrative into 
American history. He did as much or more to influence the American 
historical perspective than nearly any scholar in recent memory in this 
respect.
  One of Dr. Franklin's first contributions to our national story came 
when he was a young academic working alongside Thurgood Marshall and 
the NAACP in the landmark 1954 Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of 
Education. By his work, Dr. Franklin helped bring an end to the 
``separate but equal'' doctrine in America's public schools, ending 
decades of institutionalized injustice.
  John Hope Franklin graduated from Fisk University in 1935, and 
received both a master's and Ph.D. in history from Harvard University. 
He taught at a number of institutions, including Fisk University, North 
Carolina Central University, St. Augustine's College and Howard 
University.
  In 1956, Mr. Franklin became the Chairman of the Department of 
History at Brooklyn College and in 1964 he joined the faculty of the 
University of Chicago and served as Chairman of the Department of 
History from 1967 to 1970.
  In 1982, Dr. Franklin joined the faculty of Duke University, where he 
remained until his passing. He held such positions as the James B. Duke 
Professor of History, Professor of History Emeritus and Professor of 
Legal History at Duke University Law School. In 2000, Duke University 
opened the John Hope Franklin Center for Interdisciplinary and 
International Studies, dedicated to new methods of knowledge sharing 
and collaborative understanding.
  In 1947, Dr. Franklin published the seminal piece, ``From Slavery to 
Freedom: A History of African Americans.'' Now in its seventh edition, 
it is considered the preeminent account of the African American 
experience in the United States. Other works by Dr. Franklin include 
``The Emancipation Proclamation,'' ``The Free Negro in North 
Carolina,'' ``The Militant South,'' ``A Southern Odyssey, Travelers in 
the Antebellum North,'' ``Reconstruction After the Civil War,'' and his 
influential autobiography, ``Mirror to America.''
  Dr. Franklin was active in an array of professions and educational 
organizations. He served as President of the Organization of American 
Historians, the Southern Historical Association, the American Studies 
Association, and the United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa. In 1979, he 
became the first African American to serve as President of the American 
Historical Association, and he also served his country on national 
delegations and commissions, such as the National Council on the 
Humanities and the Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. In 1997, 
President Clinton tapped Dr. Franklin to chair the Race Initiative 
Advisory Board.
  Dr. Franklin was the recipient of countless awards and accolades, 
including the Nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal 
of Freedom. Dr. Franklin received the inaugural W.E.B. DuBois Award 
from the Fisk University Alumni Association, the Organization For 
American Historians Award for Outstanding Achievement, the Alpha Phi 
Alpha Award of Merit, the NAACP's Spingarn Medal, and the Lifetime 
Achievement Award from the American Academy of the Arts and Sciences.

                              {time}  1515

  Dr. Franklin married his college sweetheart, Aurelia Whittington, in 
1940. Aurelia passed away on January 27, 1999. They are survived by 
their son, John Whittington Franklin.
  I ask that this body join the American people in celebrating the life 
of Dr. John Hope Franklin, who we lost on March 25, at the age of 94. 
We will certainly miss his keen intellect, his graceful humility and 
humor. He was a true scholar and stalwart for justice, whose 
chronicling of American history affirmed the dignity of African 
Americans everywhere, while giving us a richer understanding of our 
journey together as Americans.
  And so, Mr. Speaker, let us collectively and formally express our 
appreciation for Dr. John Hope Franklin's life and accomplishments and 
career by agreeing to House Resolution 320.

[[Page 10170]]

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 320, 
honoring the life and achievements of Dr. John Hope Franklin.
  Dr. Franklin was born in Oklahoma and graduated from Booker T. 
Washington High School in Tulsa. He graduated from Fisk University in 
1935, and earned a doctorate in history in 1941 from Harvard 
University.
  Dr. Franklin was a dedicated educator, whose career in teaching 
included periods at many prestigious institutions of higher learning, 
including Fisk University, St. Augustine's College, North Carolina 
College, the University of Chicago, Duke University and its law school, 
and the District's own Howard University.
  In 1956 Dr. Franklin became the chair of a major history department 
when he joined the faculty at Brooklyn College.
  Dr. Franklin spent his life on the front lines of social change in 
the United States of America. In the early 1950s, he served as a 
historian consultant to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund team led by future 
Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall that helped develop the brief 
in Brown v. Board of Education. That brief led to the historic decision 
ending legal segregation in America.
  Dr. Franklin was a prolific writer, and from among his works is 
perhaps best known for ``From Slavery to Freedom,'' first published in 
1947, and continually updated. More than 3 million copies have been 
sold.
  Throughout his career as a historian, Dr. Franklin was the recipient 
of many honors and accolades, including the Society of American 
Historians' Bruce Catton Prize for Lifetime Achievement in 1994, and 
the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor 
in 1995.
  In 2006 Dr. Franklin was announced as the third recipient of the John 
W. Kluge Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the study of humanity.
  Dr. Franklin also served on many national commissions and 
delegations, including the National Council on the Humanities, and the 
President's Advisory Commission on Ambassadorial Appointments. He also 
served as the United States Delegate to the 21st General Conference of 
UNESCO.
  Dr. Franklin also served as the President of the American Historical 
Association, the American Studies Association, the Southern Historical 
Association, and the Organization of American Historians.
  He was a member of the Board of Trustees at Fisk University, the 
Chicago Public Library, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association.
  Sadly, we lost Dr. Franklin in March, but his work and his impact and 
his contributions live on. Dr. John Hope Franklin dedicated his life to 
education and the study of history, and his achievements can be summed 
up in his own words: ``You can't have a high standard of scholarship 
without having a high standard of integrity because the essence of 
scholarship is truth.''
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 5 minutes 
to the lead sponsor of this measure, the distinguished gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Watt).
  Mr. WATT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time and 
for reserving this time to bring this important resolution forward.
  About 2 weeks ago, following the death of our good friend, John Hope 
Franklin, I witnessed something that I had never witnessed in this body 
before. People were lining up to introduce resolutions honoring Dr. 
John Hope Franklin. And the Congressional Black Caucus was saying, John 
Hope Franklin is our honored person who has been so important to us.
  Representative David Price from North Carolina, in whose district 
John Hope Franklin lived at his death, said, I want the honor of 
introducing a resolution. Individual Members were all intent on 
introducing their resolution. And I modestly tell you, Mr. Speaker, 
that I ended up being the lead sponsor, only after a period of 
negotiation between people who were anxious to be in this position. And 
I am honored to have been kind of negotiated into the position of being 
the lead sponsor.
  But out of that process, something important became apparent to me, 
and that's this: That if 100 of our Members had introduced resolutions 
honoring the life and times of John Hope Franklin, that still wouldn't 
have been enough to give him the kind and sufficiency of honor that he 
deserved.
  And if 100 different resolutions had been introduced, I can imagine 
that they would have covered 100 different aspects of his life. They 
would have said, he was a scholar, because when John Hope Franklin was 
researching African American history in this country, there really was 
no written African American history in this country. And he had to beg 
his way into the Library of Congress, into places where nobody African 
American had ever really spent any time to try to find the history and 
place African Americans in a particular reserved place, tracing their 
ancestry all the way back into Africa, and giving us the due that we 
were entitled to have as part of this, the history of this country.
  A resolution might have talked about his being the first, because 
there's a whole list. We could take 20 minutes on our side just listing 
the things that John Hope Franklin was the first to do; the first to be 
an African American head of a Department of History, the first to do 
this, the first to do that.
  We could devote a whole resolution to him as a historian, because the 
wonderful work that he authored, ``From Slavery to Freedom,'' helped to 
define the role of African Americans in this country.
  We could do a resolution listing just the honors that he received, 
the number of honorary doctorates and prizes and awards that he 
received for his scholarship and his participation.
  We could do a resolution on his commitment to growing tulips. Here's 
a man that has had an tulip named after him because he took a liking to 
tulips, and really went in and probably has the best understanding and 
the best collection of tulips of any individual in America.
  We could do a resolution on his landmark participation, the fact that 
he was part of the research team that did Brown v. Board of Education; 
that he was part of the research team that made it possible for me to 
continue to serve in this body.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. LYNCH. I yield the gentleman an additional 2 minutes.
  Mr. WATT. He was part of the team that did the research on the Voting 
Rights Act that resulted in the Supreme Court upholding the 
congressional districts that many of the members of the CBC now occupy 
in this body.
  We could do a resolution on his involvement in President Clinton's 
Race Initiative.
  But I tell you, if I were doing a resolution, if I were writing it 
myself, I'd do it based on this humble genius, the mentorship that he 
provided to me, the friendship that he provided to me and my family as 
we grew up in politics, as we came out of the South and assumed the 
role that I have in this body today.
  This is a great, great, great, great man that had so many different 
ingredients to his greatness. Time doesn't give us enough time or 
enough resolutions to do appropriate honor to this man. I am grateful 
that we have this time, but I'm more grateful that we had him for 90-
plus years on this Earth.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers at the moment, 
but I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, at this point I would like to yield to the 
gentleman from North Carolina, who is also a cosponsor of this 
legislation, and earlier the lead sponsor until that position was 
assumed by Mr. Watt, the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina 
(Mr. Price) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. I thank the gentleman for yielding and 
for his work on this resolution, helping us bring it to the floor.
  I thank my colleague, Mr. Watt, for his moving and impassioned 
comments,

[[Page 10171]]

and I identify myself totally with what he's saying.
  This resolution gives us the occasion to honor a great and good man, 
and to recognize the impact he's had on our lives personally and, 
indeed, on American life. Dr. Franklin was arguably the most 
influential American historian of the 20th century. He was the 
preeminent scholar of African American history in the United States for 
nearly six decades. And in pursuing that course, he fundamentally 
changed the way we understood the Nation's past, showing us that 
African American history is inseparable from any telling of American 
history.
  It may seem obvious today that our national story is made uniquely 
American by the shared experience of multiple backgrounds, a common 
quilt sewn with diverse cultural and ethnic and economic threads. This 
shared experience is perhaps particularly compelling to those of us 
from the South, those of us whose formative years were shaped by the 
civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. But this greater 
understanding and appreciation did not just happen by chance; it's in 
large part the fruit of Dr. Franklin's labors.
  Dr. Franklin made his mark on a number of fine institutions, teaching 
at Fisk University in Nashville, at St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, 
at North Carolina College in Durham, now North Carolina Central 
University, and at Howard University here in the District of Columbia. 
Dr. Franklin spent nearly two decades at the University of Chicago, 
serving as Professor of American History, chairman of the Department of 
History, and John Matthews Manly Distinguished Service Professor of 
history. Then in 1982 Dr. Franklin joined me and other colleagues on 
the faculty at Duke University, serving as James B. Duke Professor of 
History and Professor of Legal History at Duke Law School and, 
ultimately, inspiring the John Hope Franklin Center For 
Interdisciplinary and International Studies.
  Dr. Franklin's distinguished body of work includes his book that went 
through multiple editions, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of Negro 
Americans, which is still considered the definitive account of the 
African American experience in the United States. His clarity of 
thought and understanding of history were invaluable in aiding Thurgood 
Marshall's research and victory in the landmark Supreme Court case, 
Brown v. Board of Education, which ended the ``separate but equal'' 
doctrine in America's public schools.
  Dr. Franklin was a tremendous asset to North Carolina, to the Durham/
Chapel Hill/Raleigh area of North Carolina, and to our academic 
community. He was named ``Historian of the Century'' by Duke 
University, North Carolina State, North Carolina Central, and UNC-
Chapel Hill a decade ago. In 1995, Dr. Franklin received the State of 
North Carolina's highest honor, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
  Despite his long and impressive resume, I believe Dr. Franklin will 
be remembered most for his character as a person, as a man--for his 
gentleness of spirit, the power of his intellect, the sharpness of his 
wit, the passion of his social engagement.

                              {time}  1530

  I'll always be grateful for the opportunity to know him as a 
constituent and as a friend after his return to North Carolina in the 
1980s. My wife and I will always treasure and remember the 
encouragement and the support he gave us in our various endeavors--she 
in the cause of gun violence prevention and I in both the academic and 
political vineyards.
  So I thank Mr. Watt and the entire North Carolina delegation who have 
joined in this tribute. I thank Mr. Towns, Ms. Lee and others for their 
cooperative efforts in crafting this resolution, and I assure our 
colleagues that this could not be a more deeply felt resolution. It is 
a heartfelt and a richly deserved tribute to a great and good man.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. In closing, Mr. Speaker, this is a travel day for Members 
of Congress, but I do want to recognize the other cosponsors of this 
measure: Representative James Clyburn from South Carolina; the chairman 
of our committee, Representative Ed Towns from Brooklyn; Representative 
Barbara Lee from California; Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee from 
Texas; Representative Steve Cohen from Tennessee; and the gentleman 
John Lewis from Georgia, who also, but for the fact that they are 
traveling today on their way to Washington, would be here to speak in 
favor of this resolution as well.
  Together, we all, the cosponsors and those who have spoken on the 
floor today, urge our colleagues to join us in this great recognition 
of Dr. Franklin.
  Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, today I am here to honor a great 
American who died last month but whose contributions to our nation will 
live on for many years to come.
  John Hope Franklin was a mighty scholar and soldier for justice. H. 
Res. 320 celebrates the life of Dr. Franklin and his trailblazing 
achievements in a variety of fields and I'd like to thank Congressmen 
Mel Watt and David Price for their work on this resolution.
  A native of Oklahoma, Dr. Franklin received his undergraduate degree 
from one of the finest HBCU's, Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. 
He received his doctorate in history from Harvard University.
  His distinguished academic career began right here in our nations 
capitol at Howard University and he would go on to teach at Fisk 
University, St. Augustine's College and North Carolina Central 
University.
  In 1956, Dr. Franklin became the Chairman of the Department of 
History at Brooklyn College, the first African American to lead a 
department at a predominately white institution.
  Eight years later in 1964, Dr. Franklin joined the faculty of the 
University of Chicago, serving as Chairman of the Department of History 
from 1967 to 1970. At Chicago, he was the John Matthews Manly 
Distinguished Service Professor from 1969 to 1982, when he became 
Professor Emeritus.
  Dr. Franklin is perhaps best known for his prolific writings 
including, The Emancipation Proclamation, The Militant South, The Free 
Negro in North Carolina, Reconstruction After the Civil War, and A 
Southern Odyssey: Travelers in the Ante-bellum North.
  For many African Americans our first introduction to black history 
was through Dr. Franklin's book From Slavery to Freedom. In its pages 
we found an account of American history that affirmed the dignity of 
black people and the nobility of our struggle.
  Dr. Franklin was not only a noted historian, but also living history 
himself. His accomplishments are as many as they are great. He was 
active in numerous professional and education organizations including 
serving as President of the following organizations: The American 
Studies Association, the Southern Historical Association, the United 
Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa and the American Historical Association.
  One of Dr. Franklin's earliest and most important contributions was 
as a member of the team of scholars who worked with Thurgood Marshall 
to win the landmark school desegregation case Brown v. Board of 
Education.
  Mr. Speaker, our nation will be forever grateful for Dr. Franklin's 
lasting contributions which gave us all richer understanding of who we 
are as Americans and our journey as a people.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I stand in support today of H. 
Res. 320, ``Honoring the life and achievements of Dr. John Hope 
Franklin''. This incredible man was a true scholar, social engineer, 
and civil rights champion. His chronicling of American history affirmed 
the dignity of African people both in the United States and throughout 
the Diaspora, while giving us all a richer understanding of who we are 
as Americans and our journey as a people. His contributions have 
spanned this country and the world. As Francois Fenelon, a French 
theologian, poet and writer put it best, ``A good historian is 
timeless; although he is a patriot, he will never flatter his country 
in any respect''. Dr. John Hope Franklin unabashedly served as a 
clarion call to the triumphs of African peoples throughout the ages, 
without succumbing to reconstructive history.
  It goes without saying that Dr. John Hope Franklin had an 
accomplished scholarly background, indeed an extraordinary background. 
Born from humble beginnings, he became one of the great pillars of 
American scholarly society and a giant in history. He was born on 
January 2, 1915, in Rentiesville, Oklahoma, the grandson of a slave and 
the son of Buck Colbert Franklin, one of the first Black lawyers in the 
Oklahoma Indian territory, and Mollie Parker Franklin, a schoolteacher 
and community leader.

[[Page 10172]]

  He later was a graduate of Fisk University and a recipient of a Ph.D. 
degree in history from Harvard University and became a noted historian. 
Dr. Franklin made significant academic and civic contributions that 
helped integrate the African-American narrative into American history. 
As Dr. John Hope Franklin said ``It was necessary, as a black 
historian, to have a personal agenda.''
  He was not only a great historian, but made an impact on American 
history. His research contributed to the success of Thurgood Marshall 
and the NAACP's legal victory in the landmark 1954 Supreme Court case, 
Brown v. Board of Education, which ended the `separate but equal' 
doctrine in America's public schools.
  Dr. John Hope Franklin was active in numerous professional and 
educational organizations. He served as President of the Organization 
of American Historians, the American Studies Association, the Southern 
Historical Association, the United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa, and was 
the first African-American to serve as President of the American 
Historical Association. In addition, he served on many national 
commissions and delegations, including the National Council on the 
Humanities, Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, and as chair of 
President Clinton's Race Initiative Advisory Board in 1997.
  Dr. John Hope Franklin was the recipient of numerous awards and 
accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995, the 
inaugural W.E.B. DuBois Award from Fisk University Alumni Association, 
the Organization of American Historians' Award for Outstanding 
Achievement, the Alpha Phi Alpha Award of Merit, the NAACP's Spingarn 
Medal, and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the American Academy of 
Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society in 2007. He 
was also named `Historian of the Century' by Duke University, North 
Carolina State University, North Carolina Central University, and the 
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
  Dr. John Hope Franklin passed away on March 25, 2009, in Durham, 
North Carolina, and will be deeply missed. He deserves Congressional 
recognition which would honor his life and achievements as well as 
encourage the Nation to recognize his academic contributions, 
scholarship, and service to the American society and history. Dr. 
Franklin has given so much to our great nation and he has inspired 
generations of young historians with his keen intellect, graceful 
humility, and humor in the classroom, and will ensure the endurance of 
his towering legacy.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and as Dr. Franklin 
said, `historians are the conscience of the nation, if honesty and 
consistency are factors that nurture the conscience', and his 
contributions to the study of American history fundamentally challenged 
and changed the manner in which the Nation collectively interprets its 
past and understands its present.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in support 
of H. Res. 320, a resolution recognizing the life and achievements of 
one of our country's most preeminent historian, scholar and 
humanitarian: Dr. John Hope Franklin.
  Dr. John Hope Franklin, the grandson of a slave and the son of one of 
the first black lawyers in the Oklahoma Indian territory, graduated 
from Harvard with a Ph.D. in history and later became the Chairman of 
the Department of History at Brooklyn College making him the first 
African American to run a department at a predominately white 
institution. He was also the first African American professor to hold 
an endowed chair at Duke University, as well as the first African 
American to serve as President of the American Historical Association.
  Franklin's many contributions include writing numerous publications; 
among them is his seminal work, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of 
Negro Americans, which is considered by many to be an unsurpassed 
history of the African American experience in the United States. In 
addition to his writings, Franklin was also a prominent figure in the 
arena of politics and social activism. He provided important historical 
research to NAACP Legal Defense Fund lawyer Thurgood Marshall in the 
historic Brown v. Board of Education case that outlawed school 
segregation.
  Over the course of his career, Franklin served on the National 
Council on the Humanities, and the Advisory Commission on Public 
Diplomacy, as well as being the chair of President Clinton's Race 
Initiative Advisory Board. He has also been the recipient of many 
prestigious awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the 
inaugural W.E.B. DuBois Award from Fisk University Alumni Association, 
and the Organization of American Historians' Award for Outstanding 
Achievement Society.
  During his life, Franklin saw his challenge as being ``to weave into 
the fabric of American history enough of the presence of blacks so that 
the story of the United States could be told adequately and fairly.'' 
Franklin's life, achievements and contributions has had a profound 
influence on the field of history, in particular, African American 
history. With this resolution, Franklin's legacy and spirit will endure 
for years to come.
  I commend Representative Melvin Watt for introducing H. Res. 320, a 
resolution that honors the life and achievements of Dr. John Hope 
Franklin, and urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, if there ever were a genuine 
personification of those treasured values which we call scholarship, 
commitment, and leadership, Professor John Hope Franklin was it. 
Franklin, who passed away last month at a youthful ninety-four, lived 
these values everyday of his distinguished life as one of the twentieth 
century's most accomplished historians. His celebrated work reflected 
the trials of his own life and his own race, so that the people of the 
United States, and the citizens of the world, could better appreciate, 
better understand, and better embrace our tumultuous--yet always 
forward-marching--journey.
  John Hope Franklin's career began over sixty years ago when, despite 
rejection from the University of Oklahoma due to the color of his skin, 
he earned a degree from Fisk University. Franklin then went on to 
receive a doctorate in history from Harvard University at the age of 
twenty-six. From there, he entered teaching, seeking to share his deep 
knowledge of the American experience with his students. Eventually, his 
acumen as an historian and skill as an instructor led Brooklyn College 
to name him as the nation's first African-American Chair of a major 
history department, a position which earned him the respect and 
prestige he had been denied years previously. John Hope, as his friends 
knew him, had achieved the notoriety he had worked hard to deserve.
  From Brooklyn College, John Hope Franklin would go on to teach at the 
University of Chicago and Duke University. He would be honored at the 
latter institution with the distinction of James B. Duke Professor of 
History, eventually reaching ``emeritus'' status in that position. 
Furthermore, Franklin was the recipient of such honors and accolades as 
the John W. Kluge Prize in the Human Sciences, a Jefferson Lecturer of 
the National Endowment for the Humanities, and, in 1995, was the 
recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, presented by President 
William Jefferson Clinton, for his contributions and service to 
American society.
  Mr. Franklin's honors and titles are impressive and indeed well-
deserved. Yet, they do not tell the entire story of this man's 
extraordinary impact. As an historian, John Hope Franklin sought to 
tell the story of his fellow men of color, to instill within our nation 
an understanding of the struggle over race that has defined so much of 
our history. His seminal work, From Slavery to Freedom, remains to this 
day a timeless and signature examination of African-American history. 
It served to illustrate how the history of the United States and the 
history of racial tensions are so deeply intertwined. Along with the 
rest of his extensive academic work, From Slavery to Freedom 
constitutes a tremendous educational legacy for which our nation will 
always remain filled with gratitude to have received.
  The ivory towers and rolling lawns of academia, however, could not 
confine the enlightening force of John Hope Franklin's talents. In 
1954, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and a talented lawyer named Thurgood 
Marshall took up a lawsuit in the United States Supreme Court against 
the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. Franklin joined this team, 
utilizing his knowledge and understanding of race relations and the 
African-American experience to help Marshall win a court decision that 
forever changed these United States, serving as the first stone tossed 
in the pond of injustice, releasing countless ripples calling for 
social equality and civil rights.
  Whether examining the history that had been written by others, or 
working to write the next pages himself, the potency of John Hope 
Franklin's impact on the understanding of our journey as a nation, and 
of our identity as a people places him among the giants of American 
historical study. His exposure and exploration of the path our nation 
has taken as it has encountered the struggles of racial strife are 
lasting contributions to the fulfillment of our nation's promise, and 
will serve to forever shine a light on the darkness of misunderstanding 
and ignorance.
  It is with heartfelt gratitude and unwavering appreciation toward the 
accomplishments and contributions of the venerable John Hope Franklin, 
that I therefore urge my colleagues to join me in support of House 
Resolution 302, so that we may honor this man who embodied

[[Page 10173]]

and embraced lasting values of scholarship and service, and who told 
the story of the United States--our story--with such eloquence and 
poignancy; a story of which he himself was frequently a resounding 
character.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 320, 
which honors the life and achievements of Dr. John Hope Franklin.
  Dr. Franklin was a monumental figure in the field of African-American 
history. In 1947, he published From Slavery to Freedom: A History of 
Negro Americans. This groundbreaking work is considered the definitive 
history of the African-American experience in the United States. He 
continually updated the book over the next half-century, selling over 3 
million copies. In 1979, he again made history by becoming the first 
African-American to serve as President of the American Historical 
Association. Dr. Franklin is the recipient of numerous awards including 
the NAACP's Spingarn Medal, the Kluge Prize for lifetime achievement in 
the humanities, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
  Dr. Franklin's work forced millions of Americans to re-examine the 
history of the United States and illuminated the African-American 
experience for people of all races and creeds. Perhaps more than any 
other figure, Dr. Franklin has crafted a true narrative of African-
American history that speaks to the core of America's past and present.
  On March 25, 2009, Dr. Franklin passed away in Durham, North 
Carolina. As great as his presence was, it is likely that his absence 
will loom even larger. However, his work will forever serve as a 
testament to his intellectual rigor and original scholarship. He will 
continue educating generations of American to come on the issues of 
race and our complex history. Today, we honor a life of service and 
achievement that will not be forgotten and I am proud to join with my 
colleagues in supporting this important resolution.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and 
achievements of noted historian and visionary, John Hope Franklin.
  I have a copy of Professor John Hope Franklin's book From Slavery to 
Freedom: A History of African Americans in my office. The manual has 
been an invaluable reference text for me for many years. It was one of 
my college textbooks while I was an undergrad at Vanderbilt University 
in Nashville, Tennessee.
  Born in 1915 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, John Hope Franklin was the grandson 
of a slave. He went on to become one of the most prolific chroniclers 
of civil rights history in America.
  Professor Franklin was just 4 or 5 years old when he witnessed the 
horror of the Tulsa Race riots of 1921. Under Chairman Conyer's 
Judiciary Committee, I was fortunate enough to meet Professor Franklin 
in 2007. He came to testify in a hearing before Congress urging the 
passage of legislation that would clear the way for survivors of the 
riots in the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa to sue. The hearing's main 
effort was to extend the statute of limitations survivors' claims.
  John Hope Franklin was a graduate of Fisk University, a historically 
African-American university in my home State of Tennessee; he received 
his Ph.D. from Harvard University.
  In 1956, Dr. John Hope Franklin became the first African-American 
Chairman of the History Department at the all-white Brooklyn College.
  Dr. Franklin's research contributed to the success of Thurgood 
Marshall and the Legal Defense Fund. Officially, Dr. Franklin was a 
part of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund team that helped develop the 
historic Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case that forever 
changed the face of public education in this country.
  In 1982, he became the first African American professor to hold an 
endowed chair at Duke University.
  In 1995, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest 
civilian honor in our country. Dr. Franklin received the National 
Freedom Award in 2007 from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, 
Tennessee for his influence over the state of civil and human rights in 
America.
  Dr. John Hope Franklin has been honored by the nation's two oldest 
learned societies, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the 
American Philosophical Society.
  John Hope Franklin integrated the African American narrative into the 
fabric of American history. He made us recognize that African American 
history is the history of all of us.
  Currently the Judiciary Committee, Chairman Conyers, and I are 
working on H.R. 1843, the John Hope Franklin Tulsa-Greenwood Race Riot 
Claims Accountability Act of 2009. H.R. 1843 provides that any 
Greenwood, Oklahoma, claimant (a survivor or heir/descendent of victims 
of the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Race Riot of 1921) who has not previously 
obtained a determination on the merits of a Greenwood claim may, in a 
civil action commenced within five years after enactment of this Act, 
obtain that determination. Simply put, this is the legislation that 
stemmed from the 2007 hearing where I met Professor Franklin. This 
legislation extends the statute of limitations for survivors and 
survivors' claims.
  Thank you, John Hope Franklin.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 320, a 
resolution that honors the life and accomplishments of one of the most 
prolific and well-respected chroniclers of America's torturous racial 
odyssey, John Hope Franklin who passed away on March 25, 2009, at the 
age of 94.
  Born in 1915, in Rentiesville, Oklahoma, Dr. Franklin came from a 
humble and equally tragic background. His grandfather had been a slave, 
and his family lost everything in the Tulsa race riot of 1921. However, 
it was his background of having faced racial horrors firsthand that 
brought his academic work to the forefront and cemented his reputation 
among academics, politicians and civil rights figures as an inestimable 
historian.
  John Hope Franklin attended Fisk University and received his master's 
and doctoral degrees in history from Harvard University. Shortly after 
graduating from Harvard, Dr. Franklin became widely known as a pioneer 
in the field of African American history. He published his first book 
in 1943 entitled, The Free Negro in North Carolina, 1790-1860.
  Dr. Franklin enjoyed an academic career full of highlights, 
fellowships, research publications, and honorary degrees. In fact, Dr. 
Franklin would publish another 20 books in his lifetime and his 
research helped future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall win the 
landmark ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education. It is these 
accomplishments that helped pave the way both for other Blacks and for 
the field of African American studies, which began to blossom on 
American campuses in the 1960s.
  I join President Barack Obama in his insightful observation about the 
impact of Dr. Franklin's life: ``Because of the life John Hope Franklin 
lived, the public service he rendered, and the scholarship that was the 
mark of his distinguished career, we all have a richer understanding of 
who we are as Americans and our journey as a people.''
  In closing, we are reminded that, in addition to his commitment to 
academics, Dr. Franklin was a dedicated family man. He was married to 
Aurelia Whittington, his college sweetheart for nearly 60 years before 
she passed away in 1999.
  To their son, John Whittington Franklin, may the special memories 
that you created together and the many words of wisdom Dr. Franklin 
gave you be sources of comfort and strength, now and in the days to 
come.
  Mr. LYNCH. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 320.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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