To designate the United States Courthouse to be constructed in Jackson, Mississippi, as the "R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse".

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 399) to designate the United States Courthouse to be constructed in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ``R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material concerning H.R. 399.

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

I rise to support H.R. 399, a bill to designate the courthouse to be constructed in Jackson, Mississippi, as the R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse.

R. Jess Brown was born in Coffeyville, Kansas on September 2, 1912. He was educated in the Muskogee, Oklahoma, public schools and received a bachelor of education degree from the Illinois State Normal University in 1935 and a master of education degree from the University of Indiana in 1943. He attended Texas Southern Law School.

In 1953, he was admitted to the bar for the State of Mississippi and admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. In 1955, he cofounded the Magnolia Bar Association, and he later served on the board of the National Bar Association for nearly 15 years. In 1958, he was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.

As associate counsel for the NAACP Defense and Educational Fund, Mr. Brown filed the first civil rights suit in Mississippi in the 1950s in Jefferson Davis County, seeking the enforcement of the right of black citizens to become registered voters. In 1961, Mr. Brown represented James H. Meredith in a suit to enter the University of Mississippi. This victory in this case opened the doors to that university to all Mississippi citizens. While an associate with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, he played a major role in fighting discrimination in transportation and other public accommodations, working together with Thurgood Marshall, who would later become Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Mr. Brown also served as counsel to the American Civil Liberties Union, where he was successful in obtaining reversals of convictions of black defendants because of discrimination in jury selection. He also represented numerous black defendants in cases where the State sought the death penalty. As a result of these appeals, none of these defendants were ever executed.

R. Jess Brown died in Jackson, Mississippi, on January 2, 1990. He is remembered as a brave American, brilliant attorney, civil rights leader, and devoted family man. It is both fitting and appropriate that the United States courthouse, soon to be constructed in Jackson, Mississippi, would be designated the R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce the author of the bill, who represents the district in Jackson, Mississippi, where this courthouse will be located.

Mr. Speaker, I think this bill deserves the unanimous vote of Members on both sides of the aisle. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 399, a bill to designate the United States Courthouse to be constructed in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ``R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse''.

R. Jess Brown was born in Coffeeville, Kansas, on September 2, 1912. He was educated in the Muskogee Oklahoma public schools and received a Bachelor of Education Degree from Illinois State Normal University in 1935, and a Master of Education Degree from the University of Indiana in 1943. He attended Texas Southern Law School.

In 1948, he was a co-plaintiff in a suit for equal salaries for Jackson, Mississippi school teachers.

In 1953, he was admitted to the bar for the State of Mississippi and admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. In 1955, he co-founded the Magnolia Bar Association, and he later served on the Board of the National Bar Association for nearly 15 years. In 1958, he was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.

As associate counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Brown filed the first civil rights suit in Mississippi in the 1950s in Jefferson Davis County, seeking the enforcement of the right of black citizens to become registered voters. In 1961, Brown represented James H. Meredith in his suit to enter the University of Mississippi; his victory in this case opened the doors of that university to all of Mississippi's citizens. While an associate with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, he played a major role in fighting discrimination in the areas of transportation and other public accommodations working along side Thurgood Marshall, who would later become Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Brown also served as counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, where he was successful in obtaining reversals of convictions of black defendants because of discrimination in jury selection. He also represented numerous black defendants in cases where the State sought the death penalty. As a result of these appeals, none of these defendants were ever executed.

R. Jess Brown died in Jackson, Mississippi, on January 2, 1990.

R. Jess Brown will be remembered as more than a brilliant attorney and civil rights leader; he will also be remembered as a great American. As such, it is very appropriate that the U.S. Courthouse in Jackson, Mississippi, be designated the ``R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse''.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 399.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 399, the bill naming the soon-to-be-constructed courthouse in Jackson, Mississippi, after attorney R. Jess Brown.

For most of those individuals here, I represent Jackson, Mississippi. I knew R. Jess Brown. Most of the African American attorneys in the State of Mississippi would not be there had it not been for R. Jess Brown's tenacity and perseverance to encourage other people to participate.

Both speakers have talked about his ability as a lawyer; but the one thing that I would like to share is, while he did not graduate from law school, when he was practicing, you could practice law if you could pass the bar. He taught himself law and ultimately became one of the great lawyers in our State. He represented James Meredith. He represented Medgar Evers. He represented teachers who were trying to get equity in pay. He represented other students trying to go to the University of Southern Mississippi, a number of schools.

But the good thing about R. Jess Brown, Mr. Speaker, he also was a teacher. He always had time for young people. He taught at Alcorn State University as well as Lanier High School at a time where practicing law was not as beneficial as it is perhaps now.

I am happy to join the support of H.R. 399, this bill nominating the soon-to-be-constructed courthouse after R. Jess Brown.

The Brown family in Jackson, Mississippi, is well known. The widow of attorney Brown will be quite pleased with this. Oftentimes we don't give flowers to people while they are living, but perhaps this legacy in naming this Federal courthouse after attorney R. Jess Brown is fitting and proper.

So R. Jess Brown, Mr. Speaker, will be remembered more than as a brilliant attorney and civil rights leader. He will be remembered as a great American. As such, it is very appropriate that the United States courthouse soon be built in Jackson, Mississippi, is designated the R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 399 designates the United States courthouse, which is to be constructed in Jackson, Mississippi, as the R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse. This bill honors R. Jess Brown's work as an attorney and civil rights leader.

As was so eloquently pointed out, and I think Chairman Norton went through it very well, Mr. Brown was the associate counsel for the Legal Defense and Education Fund for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, where his work was well documented.

He worked alongside Thurgood Marshall, who would later become Associate Justice to the United States Supreme Court. And as Mr. Brown was working for the NAACP in that capacity, he filed the very first civil rights suit in Mississippi in the 1950s.

Mr. Brown died in Jackson, Mississippi, on January 2, 1990.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 399 and the bill be referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.