[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 17128-17129]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             ALTO LEE ADAMS, SR., UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1791) to designate the United States courthouse under 
construction at 101 South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce, 
Florida, as the ``Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1791

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The United States courthouse under construction at 101 
     South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce, Florida, shall be 
     known and designated as the ``Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United 
     States Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the United States 
     courthouse referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States 
     Courthouse''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Denham) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. 
Napolitano) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 1791.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DENHAM. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 1791 would designate the United States courthouse currently 
under construction at 101 South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce, 
Florida, as the Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse.
  I would like to take this opportunity to thank the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Rooney) for introducing this bipartisan legislation. I 
also want to thank the 21 cosponsors from the State of Florida for 
supporting this bill.
  Chief Justice Alto Lee Adams, Sr., honorably served his community and 
the State of Florida throughout his life.
  Chief Justice Adams was born in 1899 and was raised on a farm in 
Walton County, Florida. After graduating from the University of Florida 
College of Law in 1921, he practiced law in Fort Pierce, Florida, from 
1924 to 1938. He was then appointed as circuit court judge for St. 
Lucie County.
  After Floridians adopted an amendment to add a seventh justice on the 
State supreme court in 1940, Governor Fred Cone appointed Chief Justice 
Adams to the newly created seat. Chief Justice Adams served on the 
court from 1940 until 1951, and he was chief justice from 1949 until 
1951. He sat on the bench again from 1967 until 1968.
  Outside of his judicial career, Chief Justice Adams was active in his 
community. In 1937 he served as the president of the Florida State Elks 
Association. From '37 to '38, he served as the vice chair of the State 
welfare board.
  Chief Justice Adams also devoted time to local business interests in 
St. Lucie County, including citrus groves and Bass Motors. He began a 
cattle ranch in 1937, which is still run by the Adams family. The ranch 
now encompasses over 65,000 acres in three counties.
  I believe it's appropriate that we honor Chief Justice Adams's 
dedicated service for community and the State of Florida. I support 
passage of this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 1791 and am pleased today to speak in 
support of the bill that names the courthouse located in Fort Pierce, 
Florida, as the Alto Lee Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse.
  I may seem redundant because my colleague has already mentioned most 
of the accomplishments of Judge Adams--the fact that he was born in 
1899 in Florida and was in the U.S. Navy; that he graduated from the 
University of Florida Law School in 1921 and began legal practice in 
Fort Pierce in 1924; then from practicing law for nearly 14 years, 
Judge Adams was appointed, as was pointed out, to the Florida State 
Circuit Court in 1938. That was 2 years after I was born. After serving 
as a circuit court judge, he served as a member of the Florida Supreme 
Court, again, from 1940 to 1951 and then from 1967 to 1968 and was 
recognized as the first graduate of the University of Florida to serve 
as a justice and later chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court.

[[Page 17129]]

  He was very well noted for his short, clear opinions as well as the 
several books he published and, of course, the legal articles he 
authored. In 1974 he was awarded the honor of being a distinguished 
alumnus of the University of Florida.
  In addition to his judicial duties, he also served as an active 
member of his community, serving, as was pointed out, as the president 
of Florida State Elks Association and also as the vice chair of the 
State welfare board.
  Because of his exemplary career in the public service, both in the 
military and the Florida Supreme Court, I urge my colleagues to join us 
in supporting H.R. 1791, which does name the U.S. courthouse at 101 
South United States Route 1 in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the Alto Lee 
Adams, Sr., United States Courthouse.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Rooney).
  Mr. ROONEY. I thank the gentleman from California.
  Mr. Speaker, today is a great day for the residents of Fort Pierce, 
Florida, and the Treasure Coast. Over two decades ago, the late 
Congressman Tom Lewis and his district director, Ann Decker, started 
the long process of making the courthouse a reality. The countless 
hours of dedication and work by those who followed him are now being 
rewarded with the construction of a new courthouse. I was greatly 
honored that one of my first official events as Congressman was to 
participate in the historic groundbreaking for this building.
  I introduced this legislation to honor the distinguished life and 
career of the late Florida Supreme Court chief justice, Alto Lee Adams, 
by naming the new courthouse in his memory.
  This courthouse will fill a vital role for the city of Fort Pierce, 
bringing much-needed jobs and investment to the community with this 
greatly needed new Federal courthouse. It is only fitting that the 
courthouse be named in honor of a man who himself gave so much to his 
community and the legal community of the State of Florida.

                              {time}  1750

  Chief Justice Alto Lee Adams attended the University of Florida 
College of Law in 1921. As was mentioned, he practiced law in Fort 
Pierce. He was appointed circuit court judge for St. Lucie County and 
was appointed to the State supreme court in 1940 by then-Governor Fred 
P. Cone. He served as a justice on the Florida supreme court from 1940 
to 1951 and chief justice from 1949 to 1951.
  Chief Justice Adams believed it was important to give back to his 
community. His service to St. Lucie County served as an example to his 
children and to those who knew him. Mr. Speaker, I can say, having 
spoken to some of the Adams family before I took the floor today, they 
are thrilled that this bill is being brought up as we speak.
  In addition to his distinguished legal career, Justice Adams started 
a successful cattle ranch named the Adams Ranch in St. Lucie County--
they just had their bull auction last week--and it is still run by the 
Adams family.
  Judge Adams set a standard for integrity and community service that 
lives on today, and I believe it's only fitting that this new 
courthouse is named in his honor. I am proud to sponsor this bill, and 
I ask my colleagues for their support in naming this courthouse.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, having no requests for time, I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Denham) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1791.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that 
a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is 
not present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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