[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 4477-4478]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 SIDNEY OSLIN SMITH, JR. FEDERAL BUILDING AND UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 4618) to designate the Federal building and United 
States courthouse located at 121 Spring Street SE in Gainesville, 
Georgia, as the ``Sidney Oslin Smith, Jr. Federal Building and United 
States Courthouse''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4618

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

     SECTION 1. SIDNEY OSLIN SMITH, JR. FEDERAL BUILDING AND 
                   UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE.

       (a) Designation.--The Federal building and United States 
     courthouse located at 121 Spring Street SE in Gainesville, 
     Georgia, shall be known and designated as the ``Sidney Oslin 
     Smith, Jr. Federal Building and United States Courthouse''.
       (b) 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 
     subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the 
     ``Sidney Oslin Smith, Jr. Federal Building and United States 
     Courthouse''.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. 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. 4618.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4618 would designate the Federal building and 
United States Courthouse located at 121 Spring Street SE in 
Gainesville, Georgia, as the Sidney Oslin Smith, Jr. Federal Building 
and United States Courthouse.
  Following his service in the United States Army during World War II, 
Judge Smith received his law degree and went into the private practice 
of law. In 1965, he was appointed to the Federal bench as a judge for 
the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia by 
President Johnson, and he served until his retirement in 1974.
  Given his commitment and dedication to our Nation and the law, I 
think it is fitting to recognize his service by naming this courthouse 
after him.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins) for his 
leadership on this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I also support H.R. 4618, which designates the United States 
Courthouse in Gainesville, Georgia, as the Sidney Oslin Smith, Jr. 
Federal Building and United States Courthouse.
  Judge Smith served as a Federal district court judge in the Northern 
District of Georgia and was a World War II veteran. Judge Smith 
graduated from Harvard University and the University of Georgia Law 
School. After graduating from law school, Judge Smith went into private 
practice, as was noted, and he practiced until 1962, and was later 
elected as a superior court judge in Georgia.
  In 1965, Mr. Speaker, Judge Smith was appointed as a district court 
judge and was later elevated to chief judge. Judge Smith stepped down 
from the Federal bench in 1974, as was noted, and returned to private 
practice as a partner at an Atlanta law firm.
  In addition to his very long and distinguished career, Judge Smith 
was an active member of the educational community in Georgia, serving 
as chairman of the Gainesville Board of Education, the chairman of the 
State Board of Regents, and as a trustee of Brenau University for 35 
years.
  Judge Smith was well respected in his community. It is very 
appropriate to name the building in Gainesville, Georgia, the Sidney 
Oslin Smith, Jr. Federal Building and United States Courthouse.
  I also support this bill, Mr. Speaker, and I urge my colleagues to 
join me in voting for this important piece of legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my friend from 
Florida for yielding me the time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4618, legislation that I 
introduced to name the Federal building and United States Courthouse in 
Gainesville, Georgia, after Judge Sidney Oslin Smith, or Sidney Smith 
as we knew him.
  Judge Smith passed away, but his influence in my hometown of 
Gainesville is still felt. He was born and raised in Gainesville, and 
committed to the law and furthering education.
  Judge Smith dedicated his life to serving the public. He joined the 
Army during World War II to serve his country. He later went on to have 
a distinguished legal career after receiving his law degree from the 
University of Florida. He was in private practice in Gainesville for 
many years, and served as a superior court judge prior to being 
appointed to the Federal bench by President Lyndon Johnson.
  Judge Smith's appointment to the U.S. District Court for the Northern 
District of Georgia included time as chief judge from 1968 to 1974.

[[Page 4478]]



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  After leaving the bench, Judge Smith served the community in many 
other ways. He served on the board of Brenau College--now Brenau 
University--and played a pivotal role in helping the school to obtain 
university status and become a doctoral granting institution.
  Judge Smith's legacy is one that deserves to be honored. As the 
judge's son said, ``serving others was his vocational calling.''
  The Federal building and courthouse in Gainesville is a symbol of 
public service and civic duty. Judge Smith dedicated his life to the 
high ideals of justice, honor, and family, and naming the courthouse 
after him will keep his legacy alive for years to come. It will serve 
as a reminder of the judge's commitment to his community, and I believe 
it will help inspire others to public service.
  Mr. Speaker, as we have just heard from my two friends and colleagues 
here about this man, Judge Smith, it goes beyond the resume, and it 
starts to talk, really, about the law degree and the private practice 
and the superior court judge. In fact, my father, who was a Georgia 
State trooper, remembers Judge Smith before he was on the Federal 
bench.
  I think what is most special for me in doing this and in working with 
my friends and fellow Senators from Georgia to name this building is 
not only did he do his service, but then he came back to the community. 
It was out of a duty that he served on the Federal bench. He then came 
back, once out of Federal practice, and he served in a law firm and 
helped in our educational community. Brenau University is known 
worldwide as a former women's college, but it has now expanded its 
program and reach to, literally, all across the world. It has recently 
expanded into China and has had an influence there and all over 
Georgia.
  It is also that commitment to business and that commitment to his 
hometown. You see, when we name buildings--and I don't take that 
lightly--it should be in honor of someone who touches all aspects, not 
just one's Federal service, not just, maybe, one's private service, but 
a combination of the two.
  When we go into high schools--and, Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues 
do as well. We speak in high schools and elementary schools all the 
time--we talk about pride; we talk about public service. Judge Smith is 
one of those in my community to whom we can point and say: Here is 
someone who served his country, who served his fellow members of 
Georgia as a member of the bar, but who was also known at home. They 
knew him in the restaurants; they knew him in the town square. He is 
someone we can look to and take pride in saying: There is someone who 
identifies with the very ideals of American life.
  For that reason, it is really easy for me to say this is something 
that we do in honor of someone who earned his honor while he was 
living. He earned it through his hard work, his dedication, and his 
commitment to his fellow man and to our beloved community in 
Gainesville.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation to 
recognize Judge Smith by naming this building in Gainesville the Sidney 
Oslin Smith, Jr. Federal Building and United States Courthouse.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I thank my colleagues for coming to the floor today in support of 
this legislation. Clearly, we are taking the opportunity--and the House 
has the opportunity before it--to honor a man who inspired his 
community, who served with honor, and who, quite frankly, was a role 
model to so many in the State of Georgia. I would respectfully ask all 
of my colleagues to support this legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Curbelo) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 4618.
  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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