February 11, 1997 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H413 became the first black Democrat elect- eral nations of Africa, including Gambia, tion, he leaves to mourn two grand- ed to the House. In 1967, he be- Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique, and daughters, Jevonne Laraija Stokes and Cybil came mayor of , serving dur- Zimbabwe. Quinn McBee; a grandson, Cordell E. Stokes, In September, 1980, after eight years as an ing a critical time in the history of my Jr., and his brother and sister-in-law, Louis award-winning broadcast journalist, Stokes and Jay Stokes. Other relatives include a home town. After 4 years as mayor, he returned to Cleveland and to the practice of nephew, Chuck Stokes; three nieces, Shelley moved on to a television journalism ca- law. He became the first Black lawyer to Stokes Hammond, Judge Angela R. Stokes reer in , to election as a serve as General Counsel to a major Amer- and Lori Stokes Thompson. Additionally, municipal judge and finally as U.S. ican labor union—the United Auto Workers, Carl leaves to mourn Linton Freeman, whom Ambassador to the Seychelles. Region 2 and 2A. Stokes also represented Carl considered to be a special cousin and The Reverend said Cleveland’s largest city labor union—Labor- dean of the family. He also leaves Wynona about Carl Stokes, all that exists now ers’ Local 1099, among others. Jones, Elizabeth Bowes, Blanche Richards, On November 8, 1983, Stokes was elected as in the political spectrum for African- Katie Walker, and a host of other relatives Judge of Cleveland Municipal Court, Ohio’s and friends, all of whom were special to Carl Americans are seeds from trees that largest court. A few weeks later, on Decem- in his lifetime. Carl Stokes planted. He has left a ber 22nd, his 12 colleagues elected him Ad- f proud legacy to his family, to the ministrative Judge of the Court. And on Jan- Cleveland community and to America. uary 9, 1984, his fellow-judges elected him as SUNDRY MESSAGES FROM THE OBITUARY OF U.S. AMBASSADOR CARL B. their Presiding Judge. Never before had a PRESIDENT STOKES freshman judge been elected Administrative/ Presiding Judge of the thirteen-judge Munic- Sundry messages in writing from the Carl Burton Stokes died on April 3, 1996, at ipal Court. He served two terms as head of President of the were the age of 68, following a battle with cancer. the Court. communicated to the House by Mr. With his passing, America mourned the loss Ambassador Stokes’ election was a bench- Sherman Williams, one of his secretar- of one of its most famous sons. Ambassador mark in American history since few Ameri- Stokes may be one of America’s most vivid ies. cans—and no other African American—has f examples of how this nation has responded to ever been elected to the legislative, execu- the drive for success by the members of what tive, and judicial branches of government in b 1415 was only one hundred and thirty-three years our nation. ago an enslaved group of people. Ambassador Carl Stokes was born on June 21, 1927, in SPECIAL ORDERS Stokes’ life has been one of a series of Cleveland, Ohio. He was only two years old The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. ‘‘firsts’’ for African Americans. America’s when his father, Charles, a laundry worker, first Black mayor of a major American city LATOURETTE). Under the Speaker’s an- died. His widowed mother, Mrs. Louise nounced policy of January 7, 1997, and became the first African American ever to be Stokes, supported her two sons by working elected to all three branches of govern- as a domestic and for a time the family was under a previous order of the House, ment—the legislative, the executive and the on public assistance. He and his older broth- the following Members will be recog- judicial. er, Louis, who is now in his 14th term as nized for 5 minutes each. In November, 1962, Stokes became the first Ohio’s first Black U.S. Congressman, aug- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a Black Democrat in the history of the State mented the family income as newspaper car- previous order of the House, the gen- of Ohio to be elected to the Ohio General As- riers for the Old Cleveland News, and by tleman from Michigan [Mr. SMITH] is sembly. He was re-elected in 1964 and 1966. At working in neighborhood stores. Congress- recognized for 5 minutes. that time, members of the Assembly were man Stokes is the senior member from the elected county-wide. Cuyahoga County’s pop- Ohio delegation to Congress and is the rank- [Mr. SMITH of Michigan addressed ulation was only 14% Black. Stokes remains ing minority member of the Appropriations the House. His remarks will appear the only Black Democrat ever elected coun- Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs-Housing hereafter in the Extensions of Re- ty-wide to the Ohio State Legislature. and Urban Development-Independent Agen- marks.] On November 13, 1967, Stokes attracted cies. f international attention when he was sworn Once a high school drop-out, Ambassador in as Mayor of the City of Cleveland—the Stokes has received honorary doctorate de- TRIBUTE TO HERB CAEN first Black mayor of a major American city, grees from 14 colleges and universities population 810,000. Since Cleveland was only around the country. He has been a visiting The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a 37% Black at that time, it also marked the lecturer at academic universities and busi- previous order of the House, the gentle- first time an African American has been ness institutions throughout the United woman from California [Ms. PELOSI] is elected mayor of a predominately white States, Trinidad, Haiti, Puerto Rico, the Ba- recognized for 5 minutes. major city of this nation. hamas, England, France, Germany and Italy. Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, they say In that election, Clevelanders selected On Tuesday, November 2, 1993, Stokes was that a picture is worth a thousand Stokes, the grandson of a slave over Seth re-elected to a third six-year term as Judge words, and in this visual era that we Taft, the grandson of a United States Presi- of Cleveland Municipal Court. dent. Subsequently, Mayor Stokes was asked On Friday, August 26, 1994, President Bill live in that has never been truer. But by the to represent the United Clinton appointed then-Judge Stokes as his words have power, too, and a name, States on goodwill trips to Europe. As such, Ambassador Extraordinary and Pleni- Herb Caen, to our community was he was received by many heads of state, in- potentiary of the United States to the Re- worth 1,000 words every single day for cluding nations where relations were public of the Seychelles. In this post, Carl nearly 60 years, mostly with the San strained, such as Romania and Yugoslavia. was given the opportunity not only to serve Francisco Chronicle. He was also sent to the Caribbean on mis- the United States in a diplomatic position, Last week we suffered a great loss in sions to Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Bar- but he also derived the satisfaction of dis- our community with the passing of bados, and Trinidad. His visit to Israel re- playing his professional qualifications in an sulted in a friendship with Mayor Teddy international forum. Carl served as Ambas- Herb Caen. It was a tremendous loss for Kolleck of Jerusalem that endures to this sador to the Republic of Seychelles until the the entire Bay area community. In- day. time of his death. deed, Herb Caen gave us our sense of In 1970, the 15,000 member National League The passing of Carl Burton Stokes brings community with his sense of humor. of Cities, composed of mayors and city and to close a life of love, commitment and inspi- But 1996 was a great year for Herb. It county officials from throughout the nation, ration. He was a leader, a visionary, a role was the year he turned 80, it was the unanimously voted Stokes as president-elect model, and above all, a pioneer. His feat of year he got married, it was the year he to head their organization—the first Black becoming America’s first Black mayor of a official ever to hold that office. major American city changed the landscape was awarded the Pulitzer prize, and it Having completed two terms as mayor, of American politics. But above all, Carl was was the year that our community rec- Stokes decided to end his political career proudest of the fact that he was the first ognized him at Herb Caen Day. This and begin a new one in broadcast journalism. Black American to acquire the political special day was put on by Willie In April, 1972, Carl Stokes became the first power to break down barriers and open un- Brown, the mayor of San Francisco, Black anchorman to appear daily on a tele- precedented opportunities for minorities. and our Chief of Protocol, Charlotte vision news program in New York City. At This will stand as a legacy and lasting trib- Maillard, and over 75,000 people turned NBC’s flagship station, WNBC–TV, Stokes ute to a remarkable individual. out to pay tribute to Herb Caen and to also served as urban affairs editor and was Left to mourn Carl’s passing is his loving often assigned to the United Nations where wife, Raija Stokes; two sons, Carl B. Stokes, name an over-3-mile stretch of street he interviewed many heads of state and Jr., and Cordell E. Stokes; a stepson, Sasha in San Francisco Herb Caen Way. other foreign dignitaries. Additionally, as a Kostadinov; and two daughters, Cordi D. Seventy-five thousand people, joined correspondent, he traveled throughout sev- Awad and Cynthia Sophia Stokes. In addi- Walter Cronkite and Joel Grey and