Honoring Representative Louis Stokes

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to join Congresswoman Kaptur in sharing some sentiments.

   Mr. Speaker, I stand in recognition of the late Congressman Louis Stokes, a dear friend and a tremendous patriot, who dedicated his life to serving our great Nation. He was dedicated to expanding political and economic opportunities for all Americans, and he was determined to transcend the culture of discrimination and injustice.

   Louis Stokes rose from humble beginnings in the local housing projects of Cleveland, Ohio, to serve 30 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was first elected in 1968. Reluctant to enter the political arena, Stokes was persuaded to run for office by his younger brother, Carl B. Stokes, the first African American mayor of a major American city, elected in 1967.

   Prior to serving in Congress, Mr. Stokes served as a civil rights lawyer. He was the first African American to represent the State of Ohio in Congress and was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Throughout his tenure in the House, he chaired several congressional committees and was the first African American to win a seat on the House Committee on Appropriations.

   During his long tenure in Congress, he headed and participated in several major House investigations. In March of 1977, he was appointed to lead the Select Committee on Assassinations, formed to conduct an investigation of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

   He also served as the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and became the first African American Member of Congress to head this committee.

   He was the dean of the Ohio congressional delegation. His work in the area of health led to his appointment as a member of the Pepper Commission of comprehensive health care, and he was the founder and chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust. In 1981, he chaired the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

   When Louis Stokes retired in 1998, he became the first African American in the history of the U.S. Congress to retire after 30 years of service. Following his service in Congress, he became a senior counsel at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, LLP, a global law firm, and distinguished visiting professor at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.

   He also served as a vice chairman of the Pew Environmental Health Commission at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and was appointed by the former Health and Human Services Secretary, Donna Shalala, as chairman of the Advisory Committee on Minority Health.

   As a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, he engineered a vehicle that would foster collaboration and strategic alliances for generations. Because of his visionary leadership, we all benefit from an organization powerful enough to engage, empower, and excite generations of African American leaders who influence the political landscape, impact the outcome of elections, and serve as strong voices for those weakened by poverty, discrimination, and lack of opportunity.

   Mr. Speaker, I am proud and honored to have had the privilege of serving with this Congressman. I was inspired by his intelligence, preparation, dignity, generosity, and forward thinking.

He leaves behind a legacy that inspires not only those who served with him, but a generation of future leaders.

   I am grateful for this vision that he had, his integrity, his grace, his friendship, and his mentorship.

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