[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 13577-13578]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      R.E. THOMASON FEDERAL BUILDING AND UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5873) to designate the Federal building 
and United States courthouse located at 511 East San Antonio Avenue in 
El Paso, Texas, as the ``R.E. Thomason Federal Building and United 
States Courthouse''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5873

       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 located 
     at 511 East San Antonio Avenue in El Paso, Texas, shall be 
     known and designated as the ``R.E. Thomason 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 ``R.E. Thomason Federal 
     Building and United States Courthouse''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Carson) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             GENERAL LEAVE

  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. 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. 5873.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Again, this is another example of bipartisanship in this great 
institution. H.R. 5873 would designate the Federal building and United 
States courthouse located at 511 East San Antonio Avenue in El Paso, 
Texas, as the R.E. Thomason Federal Building and United States 
Courthouse.
  Mr. Speaker, as I notice one of my colleagues from Texas here in the 
Chamber, I will reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I thank my distinguished colleague, who is willing to go beyond 
political boundaries to get things done for the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, I also support this bill, which names the Federal 
building and U.S. Courthouse in El Paso, Texas, after Judge Thomason. 
He served as prosecutor. State legislator, mayor, even U.S. 
Congressman, as well as a Federal Judge.
  In his career as a politician, he was known for his commitment to 
public works and economic development. In his second career as a 
Federal judge, he was acclaimed for even handling of high-profile cases 
and managing a considerable workload of civil and criminal cases.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in advancing this legislation, which 
honors a great judge for his dedication to the good of the public.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. O'Rourke).
  Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Indiana 
for yielding to me and for his support of this bill. I would also like 
to thank my colleague from Illinois for his kind words of support in 
recognizing the accomplishments of Robert Ewing Thomason, referred to 
as ``R.E.'' or ``Ewing'' by his friends in El Paso.
  Judge Thomason was truly the best among us, somebody who dedicated 
his life to public service and to serving others, and someone who 
really distinguished the community that I am so honored to serve, El 
Paso, Texas.
  He was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1920 
and, remarkably, for an El Pasoan and, really, for anyone in the State 
of Texas, in his second term only, he was elected by his fellow House 
members to be the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the State 
of Texas.
  This is an accomplishment to which no other El Pasoan since has ever 
been able to rise. This truly was the high-water mark, at least in 
State politics, for an El Pasoan to reach. There he distinguished 
himself with his leadership and with his dedication, not just to our 
community, but to the State of Texas.
  He then served as the mayor of El Paso, Texas, from 1927 to 1930, 
where he both reflected and truly guided the growth of one of the great 
American cities and, certainly, the greatest Southwestern city at the 
time. He was responsible for attracting industry,

[[Page 13578]]

promoting local businesses, and developing the first municipal airport 
in El Paso, Texas.
  He was then elected to the United States House of Representatives 
where, again, he served with distinction, rising to the level of the 
vice chairman of the Armed Services Committee during World War II--I 
would think, the period of the greatest stress and greatest demand for 
leadership out of that House committee--and again, he distinguished 
himself.
  But it is truly for his service as a Federal judge for the Western 
District of Texas that we now remember Judge Thomason. He heard 
thousands of cases, presided over thousands of citizenship ceremonies.
  But the case, Mr. Speaker, that I want to call to everyone's 
attention began in 1954, when 12 African American El Pasoans attempted 
to enroll in what was then known as Texas Western College, today known 
as the University of Texas at El Paso, part of Texas' University of 
Texas system.
  Thelma White and 11 friends, one of whom, Mildred Parish Tutt, is the 
mother of our colleague, Barbara Lee, of Oakland, California, these 12 
young El Pasoans attempted to enroll at Texas Western College; and, 
because of the segregation clause in our State's constitution, they 
were barred entry.
  Thelma White, who became the lead plaintiff, enlisted the support and 
advocacy of future Supreme Court Jurist Thurgood Marshall to promote 
the idea that no institution of higher learning in the State of Texas 
should bar anyone, including the African American students in question. 
That case was heard in the courtroom of Judge Thomason, and, in 1955, 
he enjoined the State of Texas from barring these students from entry. 
They were able to go to Texas Western College. It absolutely shattered 
the concept and practice of all-white higher education in the State of 
Texas. In fact, he decimated the segregation clause of our State's 
constitution and destroyed one of the last bastions of segregation in 
the former Confederacy.
  How fitting that his courtroom was in the old Federal courthouse 
which, today, we seek to name in his honor. And even more fitting is 
the Tom Lea mural, one of our famous El Paso artists, the Tom Lea mural 
that graces this Federal courthouse, the old Federal courthouse in El 
Paso Texas. It has the following legend over the door: ``O Pass of the 
North, Now the Old Giants Are Gone, We Little Men Live Where Heroes 
Once Walked the Inviolate Earth.'' A very fitting description of one of 
the giants that preceded us in El Paso, Texas, Judge Thomason.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  It is amazing to be able to come to this floor and learn historical 
facts about other congressional districts. In my district, I am lucky 
enough to represent part of Abraham Lincoln's old congressional 
district, so the history involved with Abraham Lincoln and what he 
meant to this country is something that our textbooks teach.
  We come to this House floor to learn about courageous people like 
Judge Thomason, who served in the executive branch as mayor of El Paso, 
the legislative branch in the State and here, and then served in the 
judicial branch. To be honored, I think it is a testament, and I, once 
again, want to commend my colleague, Mr. O'Rourke, for bringing this to 
our attention and for allowing this honor to, hopefully, be bestowed 
upon that courthouse.
  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 Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5873.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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