Joseph F. Weis Jr. United States Courthouse

Floor Speech

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Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and for his support of the legislation during consideration in the committee. I also want to thank every member of the Pennsylvania delegation who cosponsored this bill with me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5146, legislation which would officially designate the Federal courthouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, my home district, as the Joseph F. Weis Jr. United States Courthouse.

This would be fitting recognition for an individual who served his country so well, first as a soldier and then as an outstanding jurist. Throughout his 91 years of life, Joseph F. Weis, Jr., served our country with humility, integrity, and an unfailing sense of duty. As a young man, he enlisted in the Army shortly after Pearl Harbor. Reflecting on that decision later in life, he said plainly: ``It was the thing to do. The country was at war, and I felt I should be out there doing my share.''

He was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor and a Purple Heart with oakleaf cluster after sustaining multiple injuries over the course of his service.

Upon returning back home, Joe Weis pursued a legal career, joining his father's practice after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh Law School in 1950. After becoming a respected trial lawyer, he was elected to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas in 1968 as the first choice on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. As a judge, he quickly developed a reputation for patience and hard work. He always strove to improve our judicial system, advocating for innovative courthouse technologies and enforcement of judicial ethics.

Two years later, Judge Weis was appointed to the Federal bench, and in 1973 he was appointed to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, one step below the Supreme Court. He served on that court for 40 years, retiring just last year when he was 90 years old. He was recognized for his outstanding service on the bench with the Devitt Award, the highest honor given to Federal judges.

Amidst this remarkable list of accomplishments, he was known perhaps most of all for the strength of his character. ``He is, if anything, an overly modest and unassuming individual,'' said the University of Pittsburgh chancellor at his Devitt Award ceremony.

Joe Weis was equally beloved by his colleagues and his law clerks, who to this day still call themselves the ``Weis guys.''

The life of Joseph F. Weis, Jr., is a model that all public servants should aspire to emulate. Naming this Federal courthouse in his honor is a fitting way to recognize his long, faithful, and extremely capable service to our country, to inspire trust in the Federal justice system which he served for so long and with great integrity, and to provide future generations with an outstanding example of a great public servant. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation to name the Federal courthouse in Pittsburgh in his honor.

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