To designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 306 East Main Street in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as the "J. Herbert W. Small Federal Building and United States Courthouse".

Mr. Speaker, let me first thank the gentleman from Tennessee for yielding the time to me to speak to this very important piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an outstanding jurist and community leader by seeking to name the Federal building in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as the J. Herbert Small Federal Building and United States Courthouse.

I want to thank my good friend, Chairman Oberstar, and Ranking Member Mica for their outstanding leadership in quickly moving this legislation through their committee. I would also like to thank each member of the entire North Carolina delegation, Democrat and Republican, for their collective support of this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, J. Herbert Small is a lifelong resident of Elizabeth City, North Carolina. He has devoted 52 long years of his professional life to the practice of law and to the administration of justice in eastern North Carolina.

Herb Small began his law practice in Elizabeth City in 1949 after graduating from the School of Law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served as Special Counsel to the Congressional Committee on Intergovernmental Relations and later served 8 years as county attorney for the County of Pasquotank.

He was elected as district attorney for the First Judicial District of North Carolina for three consecutive terms. During his tenure, he served as chairman of the District Attorneys Advisory Committee, was President of the District Attorneys Association and was appointed by the Governor to the Jail Study Commission.

It was when Mr. Small was a district attorney that our paths first met. As a young lawyer, I opposed him in the courtroom on several occasions. He was a strong and effective district attorney.

In 1979, Herb Small was elected as Resident Superior Court Judge for the First Judicial District of North Carolina. He served in this capacity for 17 years. He was honored by his peers when he was elected President of the North Carolina Conference of Superior Court Judges. During this time, he represented the conference on the North Carolina Policy and Sentencing Commission.

In the early days of Judge Small's service as a trial judge, I appeared before him as a lawyer, representing both civil and criminal clients. He was a firm but fair judge, treating everyone who came before his court with respect.

And then Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of being able to call Judge Small my judicial colleague. When I was elected as a Superior Court Judge in 1988, Judge Small had preceded me to the bench by several years. He welcomed me among the ranks of Superior Court Judges, and our friendship continued to evolve.

Mr. Speaker, Herb Small is a legal scholar; and our courts benefited in so many ways because of his intellect.

Now, I am very proud to call Judge Small a constituent. He is retired. He is happily retired, living in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, which is one of my 23 communities in my congressional district. Herb Small is a trusted friend and a good adviser.

Judge Small served as chairman of the Albemarle Hospital Board of Directors and as Chairman of the American Red Cross Chapter. He has been actively engaged in other civic and charitable and service organizations, including the Jaycees and the Boy Scouts and Volunteer Firemen, Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club and the Elks Club and the Red Men and so on. He was given the Distinguished Service Award by the Jaycees, the Volunteer of the Year Award by the Chamber of Commerce, and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by the State of North Carolina for outstanding community involvement.

Very importantly, Mr. Speaker, during World War II, Judge Small served 3 years in the United States Navy; and our country is proud of and thanks him for his service.

Judge Small has been married to a wonderful individual, Mrs. Annette Ward Small, for many years. They have four children, Elizabeth, John Herbert, Fran and Carol; and they have nine grandchildren, Rachel, Matthew, John, Mary, Margaret, Ruth, Allison Katie, and Chris.

Mr. Speaker, I can think of no finer individual and no person who is more deserving of this high honor than Judge J. Herbert Small. I can assure you that Judge Small is humbled and honored by this recognition. The people of Elizabeth City and the First Congressional District of North Carolina are grateful for his community service, for his dedication, and his great and extraordinary leadership.

I thank the gentleman from Maryland for yielding me time, and I thank the gentleman from Ohio for his work on this matter.

I urge my colleagues today to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1138.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1138) to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 306 East Main Street in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as the ``J. Herbert W. Small Federal Building and United States Courthouse''.

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. 1138.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1138 is a bill to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 306 East Main Street, Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as the J. Herbert W. Small Federal Building and United States Courthouse.

J. Herbert W. Small, a lifelong resident of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, is a graduate of the University of Virginia Engineering School and the University of North Carolina Law School. He began the practice of law in 1949 and continued in his chosen field for over five decades. During his professional career, he was a member of the First Judicial District Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the North Carolina Bar Association.

In 1974, Judge Small was elected judge of Superior Court of the First Judicial District and served as Senior Resident Judge for 17 years. Judge Small is an active volunteer, serving on the Board of Directors of the Albemarle Hospital and the American Red Cross. He has received numerous awards and honors from the Jaycees, Boy Scouts, Volunteer Firemen, Chamber of Commerce, and the Rotary and Elks clubs. Further, Judge Small, a World War II veteran, served in the United States Navy for 3 years.

Judge Small is an outstanding jurist, civic leader, mentor and volunteer. I support this bill and urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the honorable gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield), the sponsor of the bill.

I join in congratulating the gentleman from North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speak, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1138, a bill to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 306 East Main Street, in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as the ``J. Herbert W. Small Federal Building and United States Courthouse''.

J. Herbert W. Small is a life-long resident of Elizabeth City, North Carolina. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia Engineering School, and the University of North Carolina Law School at Chapel Hill. He began practicing law in 1949 and continued in his chosen field for more than five decades. During his professional career, he was a member of the First Judicial District Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the North Carolina Bar Association.

He began his career as Special Counsel to the Congressional Committee on Intergovernmental Relations. Judge Small later served as County Attorney for Pasquotank County. In 1979, Judge Small was elected Judge of Superior Court of the First Judicial District and served as senior resident judge for 17 years. Judge Small is an active volunteer, serving on the Board of Director of the Albemarle Hospital and the American Red Cross. He has received numerous awards and honors from the Jaycees, the Boy Scouts, the Volunteer Fireman, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Rotary and Elks clubs. Further, Judge Small was a World War II veteran and served in the U.S. Navy for three years.

Judge Small is an outstanding mentor and volunteer. For more than five decades, he has been an exceptional jurist and civic leader. It is fitting and proper to honor his outstanding contributions with this designation.

I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1138 designates the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 306 East Main Street in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as the J. Herbert W. Small Federal Building and United States Courthouse. The bill honors Judge Small's service to the legal profession.

Judge Small served in the United States Navy during the Second World War and received a law degree from the University of North Carolina Law School at Chapel Hill. He began the practice of law in 1949 and practiced for over five decades.

His career included serving on the Congressional Committee on Intergovernmental Relations, as county attorney for Pasquotank County, and as judge of the Superior Court of the First Judicial District. Judge Small served as Senior Resident Judge for 17 years.

I support this legislation and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I might consume to congratulate the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield) for his legislation today and also to advise my friend from Tennessee I have no further speakers and if he is in the same position, I yield back the balance of my time.