To designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 101 Barr Street in Lexington, Kentucky, as the "Scott Reed Federal Building and United States Courthouse".

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 869 is a bill to designate the Federal Building and United States Courthouse located at 101 Barr Street in Lexington, Kentucky, as the ``Scott Reed Federal Building and United States Courthouse.''

I can think of no other individual more deserving, no other public servant more worthy, and no other action more appropriate than naming the federal courthouse in Lexington after the Honorable Scott Elgin Reed. Prominent Central Kentucky attorney, first Chief Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court, and federal judge--Scott Reed exemplifies the definition of honor and dignity.

Born in Lexington, Kentucky, on July 3, 1921, Scott Reed graduated with distinction from the University of Kentucky. While in college, he was editor-in-chief of the Kentucky Law Journal and awarded the order of Coif, the highest academic award that can be given to a law graduate. He was also a member of the Phi Delta Phi Fraternity. He achieved many honors at the University of Kentucky, including the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion--a prestigious award recognizing outstanding character and humanitarian service.

Prior to his time on the bench, Scott Reed was County Attorney, retained as counsel for the Fayette County School Board, and distinguished himself as a trial lawyer of great integrity.

He served from 1948 through 1956 as an acting associate professor at the University of Kentucky College of Law. From 1964 until 1969, he was judge of the First Division of the Fayette Circuit Court. He then was elected to the Kentucky Court of Appeals.

As Chief Judge of the Kentucky Court of Appeals, Judge Reed oversaw the passage of a constitutional amendment that unified and modernized Kentucky's court system. As part of the modernization, the Court of Appeals became the Kentucky Supreme Court. Reed was

elected by his fellow justices to be the first Chief Justice of Kentucky.

As Chief Justice, he oversaw the implementation of a constitutional amendment leading Kentucky to have one of the most efficient court systems in the country. The Chief Justice of the Commonwealth holds equal rank with the Governor, the latter being the head of the Executive Branch and Chief Justice serving as head of the Judiciary.

He was elected as a Fellow in the National College of the Judiciary in 1965 and was a voting member of the American Law Institute, a body of scholarly people who shape the laws of our nation. The opinions written by Scott Reed during his time on the Supreme Court of Kentucky have received national acclaim for their scholarly content. Judge Reed was a frequent lecturer to the National College of Trial Judges and has achieved the highest honors that can be bestowed on a member of his profession.

In 1979, he was appointed by Jimmy Carter to be U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He served as a U.S. district judge until he retired in 1990. His federal legal scholarship was widely regarded and likened to that of Justices Brandeis, Holmes and Marshall. Scott Reed was named to the University of Kentucky College of Law Hall of Distinguished Alumni on April 11, 1980.

Judge Scott Reed passed away on February 17, 1994, but his legacy will always be a part of Kentucky's rich history. He deserves this honor, one that is indeed long overdue.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Rogers of Kentucky for being a cosponsor of this legislation. I also want to thank my colleagues Ms. Holmes Norton and Mr. Oberstar for their help in bringing this legislation to the floor.

I support H.R. 869, and I strongly urge its passage.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to speak on behalf of the building, 799 United Nations Plaza, being named after my late friend, Ronald Brown. I want to thank his family and his community, the central Harlem community, for the support that they have given to this bill, as well as the community who loved and respected him all of his life. I want to thank Chairmen Oberstar and Holmes Norton for allowing this to become a part of our American history.

Ron Brown was an extraordinary human being. He was born in 1941. My relationship to him was really outstanding since, while I was in school, I was the desk clerk at a rather famous hotel in Harlem called the Theresa Hotel. Ron Brown's father was the manager of that hotel. So I got to know Ron at a very, very early age, and was able to see the remarkable career that he staked out for himself. Bright, articulate. He was one of those type of Americans that could do most anything that he wanted to do.

He worked for Senator Kennedy; he went to St. John's Law School; he worked for the Urban League. He became an outstanding member of the Democratic Party. But the most remarkable thing about Ron Brown is that as Secretary of Commerce under the Clinton administration, he became one of the greatest ambassadors that the American government ever had abroad.

It wasn't that he was just extending trade and getting people to buy our goods and services. It's that he was extending love, attention, sensitivity and, especially in the developing countries, where we had not spent the time that we should have, he not only sold our wares, but he was able to sell our reputation as a country that wanted to help other countries.

And so it is with a great deal of pleasure for those of us from Harlem, those of us from New York, those of us who understood and knew Ron Brown, and even the Clinton administration, who gave him this great opportunity to have a building named right across from the United Nations, which would have the responsibility for all of the member nations, as well as the employees there, to be able to establish American policies and embassies throughout the world, that there will be a little bit of Ron Brown's reputation as being a great American in everything that we are able to do in that building.

So, I thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to join with the millions of Americans who believe that Ron Brown made us taller, made us more proud, and certainly more respected. God has taken his life far too early, but we praise God for allowing him to share his wonderful life with us.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 869) to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 101 Barr Street in Lexington, Kentucky, as the ``Scott Reed Federal Building and 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 material on H.R. 869.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 869, a bill to designate the Federal building and United States Courthouse located at 101 Barr Street, Lexington, Kentucky, as the Scott Reed Federal Building and United States Courthouse.

From 1964 until 1969, Judge Reed was a member of the First Division of the Fayette Circuit Court when he was elected to the Kentucky Court of Appeals, then the highest court in the State, and was chosen by his colleagues on the Court of Appeals as Chief Justice. He became the first Chief Justice of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. His opinions from the Supreme Court of Kentucky were highly regarded and often cited by other jurisdictions. Judge Reed was a member of the American, Kentucky, and Fayette County Bar Associations.

On November 2, 1979, President Jimmy Carter appointed him as a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He became a Senior Judge August 1, 1988, and retired April 1, 1990.

He was a frequent lecturer to the National College of Trial Judges and was named to the Hall of Distinguished Alumni of the University of Kentucky on April 11, 1980.

Judge Reed was an exemplary lawyer and outstanding jurist. His public career serving the citizens of Kentucky spanned over 30 years. He served with great distinction at both the State and Federal judicial levels. It is both fitting and proper to honor his civic contributions with this designation, and I urge support for passage of H.R. 869.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel).

(Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 869, a bill to designate the Federal building located at 101 Barr Street in Lexington, Kentucky, as the ``Scott Reed Federal Building and United States Courthouse.'' The bill was introduced by the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Chandler) and his colleague from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers).

Scott Reed was born in Lexington, Kentucky in 1921. He attended local schools and graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1945. While at the University, Reed received many awards and honors, including the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion for excellence.

The first years of Judge Reed's career were spent in private practice, during which he distinguished himself as a trial lawyer of great integrity. During this time, he also taught at the University of Kentucky College of Law.

From 1964 to 1969, he was judge of the First Division of the Fayette Circuit Court. From 1969 until 1976, Judge Reed served on the Court of Appeals, 5th Appellate District. In 1976, he became the Chief Justice of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, a position which holds equal rank with the Governor. His opinions from the Supreme Court of Kentucky have received national attention for their scholarly content and careful judicial reasoning.

In August 1979, Judge Reed was nominated by President Carter to serve as the U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He was confirmed in October 1979, and served until his death in 1994.

In the 110th Congress, the House passed similar legislation to designate the U.S. Courthouse in Lexington, Kentucky, as the ``Scott Reed Federal Building and United States Courthouse.'' Unfortunately, the Senate was unable to act on the bill.

Judge Reed enjoyed a rich and rewarding career. His contributions to the American judicial system are exceptional. It is fitting that the courthouse in Lexington bear his name to honor his distinguished career and enduring legacy.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 869.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Again, this bill designates the Federal building and United States Courthouse located on Barr Street in Lexington, Kentucky, the Scott Reed Federal Building and United States Courthouse.

At this time, I reserve the balance of my time.

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