•HRES 427 IH 
Whereas from 1943 to 1946, Louis Stokes served as a per-
sonnel specialist in the United States Army; 
Whereas following these years of military service, Louis 
Stokes returned to Cleveland and attended the Cleveland 
College of Western Reserve University from 1946 to 
1948, and subsequently earned a Juris Doctor from the 
Cleveland Marshall School of Law in 1953; 
Whereas Louis Stokes practiced law in Cleveland, Ohio, for 
14 years and was one of the founders of the Stokes, 
Stokes, Character and Terry law firm; 
Whereas during his time at his law firm, he became involved 
in a number of civil rights-related cases, often working 
pro bono on behalf of poor clients and activists; 
Whereas Louis Stokes tried three cases before the United 
States Supreme Court, including the landmark case of 
Terry v. Ohio, which defined the legality of police search 
and seizure procedures; 
Whereas, on November 6, 1968, Louis Stokes was elected to 
the United States House of Representatives, representing 
the 21st (later the 11th) District of Ohio; 
Whereas upon his election, he became the first African-Amer-
ican to represent Ohio; 
Whereas he was a founding member of the Congressional 
Black Caucus, an organization comprised of the Black 
Members of the United States Congress, created to be 
the voice for people of color and vulnerable communities, 
and he served as its chair for two terms; 
Whereas in 1971, Congressman Stokes was the first African- 
American to serve on the House Appropriations Com-
mittee, and by his retirement in 1998, had earned the 
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•HRES 427 IH 
distinguished rank of ‘‘Cardinal’’ as chair of the Sub-
committee on VA–HUD–Independent Agencies; 
Whereas Congressman Stokes chaired a number of historic 
committees such as the House Select Committee on the 
Assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr. (95th Congress); the Permanent 
Select Committee on Intelligence (100th Congress); and 
the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (97th– 
98th Congress); 
Whereas he also served on the House Committee on the 
Budget and gained national prominence as a member of 
the House Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms 
Transactions with Iran in 1987; 
Whereas in 1998, he successfully led the House in passage 
of H.R. 1635, the National Underground Railroad Net-
work to Freedom Act, his final major piece of legislation; 
Whereas, after serving 15 consecutive terms in the United 
States House of Representatives, Congressman Stokes 
ranked 11th out of 435 Members of Congress and was 
the dean of the Ohio delegation; 
Whereas few Members have left such an indelible mark in 
this institution; 
Whereas with kindness, integrity and diligence, he worked 
hard with both sides of the aisle to serve the constituents 
of his Congressional District, the city of Cleveland, the 
State of Ohio, and citizens of the United States of Amer-
ica; 
Whereas he worked tirelessly for minorities, the poor, and 
disadvantaged persons, and he played a pivotal role in 
the quest for civil rights, equality, and justice; 
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•HRES 427 IH 
Whereas his Christian faith was the foundation of his service 
to others; 
Whereas he often expressed gratitude for the sacrifices of his 
mother—a young widow, former sharecropper, and 
daughter of slaves—who inspired her sons to get an edu-
cation so that they would not have to work with their 
hands as she did as a domestic worker; 
Whereas Congressman Stokes received numerous awards and 
honors during his lifetime that recognize his leadership 
and his commitment to public service; 
Whereas there are several landmarks in the city of Cleveland 
that bear his name, including the Louis Stokes Wing of 
the Cleveland Public Library, the Louis Stokes Health 
Sciences Center at Case Western Reserve University, and 
the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical 
Center; 
Whereas nationally, buildings named in his honor are the 
Louis Stokes Laboratories at the National Institutes of 
Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and the Louis Stokes 
Health Sciences Library at Howard University in Wash-
ington, the District of Columbia; 
Whereas given his commitment to education, the Louis 
Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) in 
STEM at the National Science Foundation also bears his 
name; 
Whereas LSAMP assists universities and colleges in increas-
ing the number of students completing high-quality de-
gree programs in science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics (STEM) disciplines in order to diversify the 
STEM workforce; and 
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•HRES 427 IH 
Whereas Louis Stokes received 26 honorary doctorate degrees 
from colleges and universities and on July 8, 2003, was 
honored by the United States Congress with the Congres-
sional Distinguished Service Award: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) honors the life, accomplishments, and legacy 
of Congressman Louis Stokes; and 
(2) extends its heartfelt sympathies and condo-
lences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Con-
gressman Louis Stokes. 
Æ 
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