The Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is itself on the National Register of Historical Places, having been so designated in 1998. The building was authorized in 1931 and occupied in 1933. An annex was completed in 2002. The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit occupy space in the complex along with other court family units. Following the completion of the new court facilities in 2002, the Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse was renovated and many of its architectural features were restored to their original beauty and design. As the need for government space had grown through the years, the General Services Administration had modified much of the original interior design and installed air conditioning.

The building, originally designed to house a single U.S. District Courtroom and judicial chambers, plus a Court of Appeals courtroom and chambers for a single U.S. Circuit Judge, as well as a post office, congressional space and space for other federal agencies, had been modified through the years and much of its original design was lost. It housed five U.S. District Judges, four U.S. Circuit Judges and four U.S. Magistrate Judges, the U.S. Marshal, and a U.S. Senator when the new facility was begun.

The Middle District of Alabama was created as the Federal Judiciary grew from Alabama’s early territorial beginnings to its present day jurisdiction. It has a rich history in both the cases originating in the U.S. District Court in Montgomery and the many judges who served on the court through the years.

Mindful of its past, the U.S. District Court made a conscious decision, as the new complex was being built and the renovations planned, to preserve the court’s history. It began with the establishment of a Historical Committee composed of lawyers, judges and historians in 1999. The committee was to determine how best to organize material in court files, gather material that was missing during certain periods and preserve these historical artifacts for future generations. Then-Chief U. S. District Judge W. Harold Albritton, III, and the committee’s first chair, Montgomery attorney John B. Scott, Jr., and the committee began work that can be seen at the complex today.

Panels were installed in the atrium of the public spaces in the new building. One chronicles the history of the court itself and is focused on the cases the court has decided. The other panel depicts the history of the various courthouse buildings used through the years by the U S. District Court in the middle district. Museum cases are located beneath the panels and courthouse artifacts, pieces of evidence, and items personal to court personnel are displayed and rotated. In addition, portraits were acquired from court archives, family members, and other sources. These line the galleries of the second floor. All judges who have served on the court and are not in active service, along with their biographies, are included. A judge’s portrait is placed there upon assuming senior status or otherwise leaving the court.

A written history of the court from 1804 through 1955 was published by the University of Alabama School of Law, Bounds Collection, in 2010 by R. Volney Riser. This project was supported by a grant from the Alabama Law Foundation. In addition, a colorful booklet was published by the committee at the time of the new building’s dedication in 2002. It presents the U.S. District Court Judges, U.S. Magistrate Judges, U.S. Bankruptcy Judges and Court Clerks who have served the court to present day. It includes a history of the court’s building and records those who have served as U.S. Attorney and U.S. Marshal in the Middle District of Alabama.

The newest feature in the court’s historical preservation project is the Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Collection. It is housed in the Joint Use Conference Room on the second floor of the Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse. The space formerly was used as the office of the U.S. District Court Clerk. The space can be used for training seminars, law clerk orientation, court committee meetings and visitor orientation.

Mrs. Ruth Johnson presented to the court a veritable treasure of personal items associated with Judge Johnson. With the capable help of professional museum curators, David and Frances Robb, the Historical Committee has been able to preserve for generations to come these gifts that chronicle the life of Judge Johnson from his earliest childhood in Winston County; his service in WWII (his purple heart and Bronze Star); his Jasper, Alabama law practice; his appointment as U.S. Attorney, NDAL; as well as his service as both a U.S. District Court Judge and U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge.

The collection contains photos, newspaper articles and editorials, honorary degrees and editorial cartoons. His law clerk reunions, his fishing and woodworking hobby and the precedent setting decisions rendered by Judge Johnson are included. A centerpiece of the collection is the 48 star silk flag that hung in his U.S. District Courtroom. His reverence for the flag is noted in one of the many books written about Judge Johnson. His wit is displayed when he compares this special flag to the nylon flag he had as a U.S. Circuit Judge. This flag was discovered in his chambers closet, after his death, preserved in a dry cleaning bag with a 1971 ticket still attached.

Special to the collection is his Presidential Medal of Freedom presented by President Clinton to Judge Johnson, the Third Annual Devitt Award, the program noting his election to the Alabama Academy of Honor, the Alabama Lawyers Hall of Fame enshrinement plaque, the American Bar Association’s Thurgood Marshall Award, the Time magazine cover and the cover of the Alabama Lawyer on which he (and Mrs. Johnson) appeared. He was the first non-president of the Alabama State Bar to be so honored. The flag that draped his casket is also in the collection.

Judge Johnson’s desk will occupy an area in the room where people desiring to research his opinions may sit. This conference room is a unique and special place to meet. The meeting space is surrounded by an incredible display of history of the man for whom the courthouse complex is named. A special feature of the cases holding the collection is the sensor controlled lighting system, which is activated by the presence of the person standing in the particular exhibit area. This system will preserve the displays from heat and excessive light exposure.

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama assumed responsibility for preserving its storied and distinguished past. The judges, court staff and many lawyer volunteers are proud trustees of the court’s past and encourage future generations to update this preservation effort.

We were proud to present W. Edgar Welden with the 2010 Alabama Humanities Award. Mr. Welden initiated and has personally funded the Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarships benefiting current kindergarten through sixth-grade teachers in social studies projects. He is the current chair of the Alabama Sports Hall Of Fame and Museum and president of the Bryant-Jordan Student Athlete Foundation, which provides more than 100 scholarships annually to Alabama high school seniors.

We also awarded the 2010 Charitable Organization in the Humanities Award to the Robert R. Meyer Foundation. Elmer Harris, an advisory committee member at the foundation, graciously accepted the award.

AHF Board member Cathy Crenshaw also presented a special resolution honoring The Rev. Fred Lee Shuttlesworth for his involvement in the civil rights movement and dedication to public advocacy that embodies the values and perspectives of the humanities. Sephira Shuttlesworth accepted the award on The Reverend’s behalf.

Prior to the awards luncheon six Alabama elementary school teachers were awarded the 2010 Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarship. The $1,000 awards are awarded to teachers to enhance their teaching abilities by purchasing classroom materials for a special project, offering a class field trip or attending a seminar or institute in the subject areas of history and civics. This year’s recipients included:
• Takisha Durm, a sixth-grade teacher at PACE Alternative Education in Huntsville
• Cheryl Evans Hall, a third-grade teacher at Lacey’s Spring School
• Diane Henderson, a fourth-grade teacher at East Lawrence Middle School in Trinity
• Mary Elizabeth Lee, a sixth-grade teacher at New Market Elementary School
• Gerri McDonald, gifted programs at Perdido Elementary/Middle School
• Beverly Robinson, a fourth-grade teacher at Crossville Elementary School

Jenice Riley’s sister, Minda Campbell Riley attended the reception and presented the awards to the teachers. Her mother, Patsy Riley, and her brother, Rob Riley, were also present.

The Alabama Humanities Awards Luncheon was made possible in part by the generosity of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and Vulcan Materials Company. The Hoover Public Library provided volunteers for the event.

For more information, please see our luncheon website. And stay tuned to our Flickr account for a luncheon slideshow, coming soon!

The luncheon will feature our guest speaker, chief legal correspondent for CBS News Jan Crawford. We will honor Edgar Welden, 2010′s Alabama Humanities Award recipient, and the Robert R. Meyer Foundation as this year’s Charitable Organization in the Humanities. We will also present a special resolution in recognition of The Rev. Fred Lee Shuttlesworth.

For more information, and to R.S.V.P., visit our luncheon website.

Jan Crawford is the chief legal correspondent for CBS News and a recognized authority on the Supreme Court. Her 2007 book, Supreme Conflict: The Inside Story of the Struggle for the Control of the United States Supreme Court, gained critical acclaim and became an instant New York Times Best Seller.

Edgar Welden will be honored this year as the 2010 Alabama Humanities Award recipient. He initiated and has personally funded the Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarships benefitting current kindergarten through sixth-grade teachers in social studies projects. He is the current chair of the Alabama Sports Hall Of Fame and Museum and president of the Bryant-Jordan Student Athlete Foundation, which provides more than 100 scholarships annually to Alabama high school seniors.

AHF will also honor the Robert R. Meyer Foundation as the winner of the Charitable Organization in the Humanities Award. This award is presented at the discretion of the board of directors to a corporation or foundation that has provided vital support to further the AHF mission.

The awards luncheon will recognize six elementary school teachers who will receive the 2010 Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarship. The $1,000 awards are awarded to teachers to enhance their teaching abilities by purchasing classroom materials for a special project, offering a class field trip or attending a seminar or institute in the subject areas of history and civics. This year’s recipients include: Takisha Durm, a sixth-grade teacher at PACE Alternative Education in Huntsville Cheryl Evans Hall, a third-grade teacher at Lacey’s Spring School Diane Henderson, a fourth-grade teacher at East Lawrence Middle School in Trinity Mary Elizabeth Lee, a sixth-grade teacher at New Market Elementary School Gerri McDonald, gifted programs at Perdido Elementary/Middle School Beverly Robinson, a fourth-grade teacher at Crossville Elementary School.

Ticket Information
Tickets for this year’s luncheon are $50 each, or $150 for a patron ticket. A patron ticket includes an invitation to the reception honoring the Jenice Riley Memorial Scholarship recipients prior to the luncheon. Complimentary valet parking, preferred luncheon seating, and a commemorative gift are also included in the patron ticket price.

Tables of 10 may be purchased for $500; patron tables may be purchased for $1,500.

Please visit our luncheon website to download a ticket request form, or contact Paul Lawson at (205) 558-3992 or plawson@ahf.net to R.S.V.P. for the luncheon and purchase a ticket.

Please R.S.V.P. by September 6.

The book opens in Mississippi Territory days with the appointment by President Thomas Jefferson of the first territorial judge in St. Stephens, the earliest settlement in what would become Alabama, and continues to present-day Alabama, where the profession has grown to more than 16,000 members.

“For more than 200 years, the Alabama State Bar and its predecessors have shaped the development of the law, responded to the demands of a changing society and kept the public informed of its rights and responsibilities,” said ASB President Thomas J. Methvin of Montgomery (Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles P.C.).

Written by Birmingham attorney and legal historian Pat Boyd Rumore, the 336-page book recounts the rich history of the profession. It includes the individual stories of politicians and statesmen, jurists, writers, humorists, educators, war heroes and civil rights advocates who were Alabama lawyers.

The book highlights federal jurists who helped end the segregated “southern way of life” by their decisions in cases brought by Alabama’s great civil rights and civil liberties lawyers. The book also depicts the courage of women lawyers who opened the way for the expanded presence of women in the profession. It also deals with Alabama political history, which has been dominated by lawyers.

Holding political office was a natural outgrowth of a lawyer’s place in the local community and in the state. Also, the book traces the movement toward expansion and diversification of membership and improved professional standards of education, practical training and ethics, which are regulated by the Alabama State Bar as an arm of government to protect both the public and the profession.

Proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the Alabama Law Foundation and the Bench and Bar Historical Society.

Submitted by Brad Carr

The Sotomayor nomination was not particularly controversial, as such things go. There were some rough spots, to be sure, but in the main the lengthy confirmation process reflected the political reality that Judge Sonia is the very sort of jurist Barack Obama was expected to name to the Supreme Court, and had she not been confirmed, someone very much like her in due course would have been.

Three Alabamians have served on the U.S. Supreme Court. The last to do so, Hugo Lafayette Black of Ashland, exerted more influence over the development of American constitutional law than all but a relative handful of the judges in the Court’s entire history.

Black was nominated by President Franklin Roosevelt on August 12, 1937, and the Senate confirmed him to the high Court within a mere week. Although this seems an inconceivable rush to judgment by today’s standards, in 1937 it was considered somewhat a delay. As a sitting U.S. Senator, Black’s confirmation by Senate colleagues normally would have been automatic, and virtually immediate. But, for the first time since 1888, the Black nomination was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which approved him on a 13-4 vote. The full Senate debated for most of a day before confirming Black 63-13.

There is zero chance that Hugo Black’s nomination could have survived the scrutiny facing any nominee today. In the modern political climate the president, without question, summarily would withdraw the nomination from a disgraced nominee. Black, you see, had joined the Ku Klux Klan in the early 1920s, presumably to further his political career, though he had quit the Klan shortly before entering the Senate in 1926. Indeed, Black had addressed a statewide Klan gathering in the very year of his first Senate election.

Black’s “hooded” history was a matter of unproved speculation at the time of the abbreviated confirmation debate. Rumors were rife, however, and the NAACP and other African-American groups formally opposed him to no avail.

Enterprising investigative journalists broke the truth about Black’s embarrassing past late in the summer, but only after he had already taken the judicial oath of office. Time magazine scathingly observed that “Hugo won’t have to buy a robe, he can dye his white one black.” A national scandal erupted, and even FDR demanded an explanation.

Justice Black rose to the occasion, and gave a radio address forthrightly admitting his former Klan membership, though denying that he either participated in Klan activities or really considered himself a Klansman at all. The public remained skeptical, and the media didn’t buy his story either. American Mercury even called Black “a vulgar dog.”

Black did not easily live down the stigma of his “Kluxer” past. When the Supreme Court began its fall term in October 1937, the new justice had to sneak in through the basement, because angry protesters had converged upon the building. Over the course of the next three-and-a-half decades, however, Black forged a distinguished judicial career generally characterized by a high regard for the constitutional liberties afforded all individuals.

Hugo Black died in 1971, only eight days after resigning from the Supreme Court for reasons of ill health. His was a remarkable career, incredibly important to the history of American jurisprudence. In one of those ironies, which make the study of history so interesting, the ex-Klansman from Alabama became a stalwart of the liberal Warren Court that so transformed American law and society in the 1950s and 60s.

Carl Sagan once made this rather idealistic appraisal of the late Justice Black:

When permitted to listen to alternative opinions and engage in substantive debate, people have been known to change their minds. It can happen. For example, Hugo Black, in his youth, was a member of the Ku Klux Klan; he later became a Supreme Court justice and was one of the leaders in the historic Supreme Court decisions, partly based on the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, that affirmed the civil rights of all Americans. It was said that when he was a young man he dressed up in white robes and scared black folks; when he got older, he dressed up in black robes and scared white folks.”

Yet in a candid 1967 New York Times interview, which Black gave only with the understanding that it would not be published until after his death, the by-then esteemed elder justice revealed that his youthful flirtation with the Ku Klux Klan had nothing to do with philosophy or politics, but rather everything to do with winning cases as a trial attorney:

You want to know the main reason I joined the Klan? I was trying a lot of cases against corporations, jury cases, and I found out that all the corporation lawyers were in the Klan. A lot of the jurors were too, so I figured I’d better be even-up. I haven’t told that before, but that’s how it was. People think it was politics, but it wasn’t politics. I wanted that even chance with the juries.”

All irony aside, that is an explanation which this lawyer can understand, and believe.

For further reading:

• “Justice Black Dies at 85; Served on Court 34 Years” from New York Times, September 25, 1971
• Hugo L. Black: Cold Steel Warrior by Howard BallPhoto: Library of Congress / the Encyclopedia of Alabama.

Written by: Greg S.