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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 842, a bill to designate the United States Courthouse under construction in Jackson, Mississippi, as the R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse.

Mr. Speaker, R. Jess Brown was born September 12, 1912, in Coffeyville, Kansas. His parents, Ernestine and Joe Brown, were jazz musicians, vaudeville performers and theater managers.

Jess received a bachelor of science in industrial arts from Illinois State Normal University and a master of science in education in the area of industrial education from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

After teaching at Alcorn State University, Mr. Brown moved to Jackson, Mississippi, where he taught industrial arts at Lanier High School, the only black high school in the City of Jackson, Mississippi, at that time. While teaching at Lanier, Mr. Brown became an intervening plaintiff in a lawsuit that sought equal pay for all teachers in Jackson, Mississippi.

After teaching in Jackson, Jess attended Texas Southern University Law School. Jess left the law school before receiving his juris doctorate, but was able to go back to Mississippi and pass the Mississippi bar in 1953. After passing the bar, Mr. Brown began practicing law in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

As a young lawyer, Jess confined his practice to cases involving divorces, deeds, land titles and other practices that did not disturb white members of the bar. However, after the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education ruling, Brown felt compelled to defend the civil rights of African Americans.

In the fall of 1955, the conditions and hardships endured by black lawyers in the courts led Mr. Brown and seven other black attorneys to establish the Magnolia Bar Association. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Brown is credited with filing the first civil rights lawsuit in Mississippi. This lawsuit, on behalf of a Jefferson County minister, challenged laws that prevented blacks from voting.

Mr. Speaker, R. Jess Brown has an extensive record as a civil rights lawyer. Among his many cases, Mr. Brown represented Clyde Kennard after he was arrested while trying to enroll at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Jess served as co-counsel for James Meredith's lawsuit to enter the University of Mississippi. This case was the ultimate cause of the integration of that university.

Mr. Brown represented Dr. Gilbert Mason when he and others were arrested in their efforts to end racial segregation on the beaches of Biloxi, Mississippi.

He represented Medgar Evers and Dr. Aaron Henry as they fought for civil rights in the 1960s and 1970s.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Brown was admitted to practice law before all courts in Mississippi, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Brown also served on the executive board of the National Bar Association for approximately 15 years.

Mr. Speaker, on January 2, 1990, R. Jess Brown died in Jackson, Mississippi, at the age of 77.

Mr. Speaker, R. Jess Brown did many great things for the people of Mississippi, and he has received many accolades for his accomplishments. As I stand here today, in part because of the efforts of Jess Brown, I can think of few other people as worthy of having their name on the Mississippi courthouse under construction in Jackson, Mississippi, as R. Jess Brown.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 842.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 842, 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 later received a Bachelor of Education from Illinois State Normal University in 1935, a Master of Education from the University of Indiana in 1943, and a Juris Doctorate from Texas Southern Law School.

He was admitted to the bar for the State of Mississippi in 1953 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 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Brown filed the first civil rights suit in Mississippi 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, and his victory in this case opened the doors of that University to all of Mississippi's citizens. During his time at the NAACP, Brown also played a major role in fighting discrimination in the areas of transportation and other public accommodations working alongside Thurgood Marshall, who would later become a United States Supreme Court Justice.

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 represented numerous black defendants in cases where the State sought the death penalty, and 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 will be remembered as a brilliant attorney, an accomplished civil rights leader, and as a great American. It is appropriate that the U.S. Courthouse in Jackson, Mississippi be designated the ``R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse''.

In the 110th Congress, the House passed a similar bill to name the U.S. Courthouse in Jackson, Mississippi, after R. Jess Brown. Regrettably, the Senate was unable to act on the legislation. I urge my colleagues to join me once again in supporting this designation and I urge the passage of H.R. 842.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 842) 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 may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 842.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 842, a bill to designate the courthouse to be built in Jackson, Mississippi, as the R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse. Attorney Brown was a towering figure in the history of the civil rights movement in the South and especially in Mississippi. He was a native son of Kansas, born in Coffeyville, Kansas, and raised in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He received his law degree from Texas Southern University and practiced law in Mississippi in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

As Associate Counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 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 be allowed to enter the University of Mississippi. His victory in this case opened the doors of that university to all of Mississippi's citizens.

While with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, he played a major role in fighting discrimination in the areas of transportation and other public accommodations working alongside Thurgood Marshall, who had later become Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

During his lifetime, he received numerous awards and honors, including the NAACP's Lawyer of the Year award, National Bar Association C. Francis Stradford Award, which is their highest award, and Mississippi Teachers Association award for extraordinary service to education in Mississippi.

I support this legislation and urge my colleagues to join me to pass

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), the sponsor of the bill.

I have no further speakers at this time.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

As we just heard, this bill names the United States Courthouse to be constructed in Jackson, Mississippi, as the R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse.

R. Jess Brown grew up and was educated in the public school system of Muskogee, OK.

He attended Illinois State University, Indiana University, and the Texas Southern Law School.

Mr. Brown was actively involved in civil rights issues and dedicated his career to pursuing equality for all citizens.

In 1948, he was a co-plaintiff in a lawsuit brought on behalf of African-American teachers in Jackson, MS, seeking equal pay.

After being admitted to the bar in Mississippi, he became Associate Counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

As Associate Counsel, he filed a civil rights case in Mississippi seeking to enforce the right of African Americans to register to vote.

Later, in 1961, Mr. Brown represented James H. Meredith in a lawsuit that was filed and won. This case opened the door to allow Mr. Meredith and other African Americans to enter and study at the University of Mississippi.

Mr. Brown was active in many other cases that helped to break down barriers related to discrimination in the areas of public transportation and accommodations.

He was a leader not only in the civil rights movement, but also more broadly in the legal community. Among his many accomplishments, he co- founded the Magnolia Bar Association, served on the Board of the National Bar Association, and was admitted to practice law before the United States Supreme Court.

I have no objections to the passage of this bill and support its adoption.

I understand the other side has a speaker, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, if I may inquire from the gentlelady from Maryland if she has any other speakers at this time?

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of the privileges of the House and offer the resolution previously noticed.

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.