Date: 1993-05-04
Speaker: DE LUGO (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. ours is a nation of laws. Institutions. and people. The success of our Nation is largely predicated on a strong legal institution that is consistently and fairly administered by enlightened people. Once In a great while there are people. though few In number. who achieve such stature that they come to personify our Institutions. In the Virgin Islands. one of those exceptional Individuals Is Almeric Leander Christian. the senior sitting judge of the territorial court and the former chief judge of the U.S. District Court of the Virgin Islands. Today. Mr. Speaker. I rise to speak to my legislation that is appropriate to the man. to the institution. and to the community he has served throughout a lifetime. My bill. H.R. 1364. would redesignate the Federal building In St. Croix the Almeric L. Christian Federal Building. Christiansted. just a few miles from where the new Federal building now stands. Is the place where AJmerc L. Christian was born on November 23. 1919. to Elena L. Davis Christian and Adam E. Christian. Almeric grew up In Chrisitansted. attending grammar. junior high. and high school there before continuing his education at the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras and at Columbia College In New York City. He entered Columbia Law School. served In the U.S. Army In World War II. and then returned to Columbia law to graduate. After law school Almeric returned almost Immediately to his native Virgin Islands where he entered private practice. In the next several years he was admitted to the New York State Bar and the Virgin Islands Bar. and was admitted to argue before the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. Almerc Christian became closely Involved with the fundamental legal document of the Virgin Islands. the Revised Organic Act of 1954. when President Eisenhower appointed him to a sevenmember commission to determine the application of Federal laws to the terdtory. In 1962. President Kennedy appointed Almeric to be the Virgin Islands U.S. attorney. The following year he marred Shirley Frorup of Christiansted. They had two children. Adam Gregory. now an attorney. and Rebecca Therese. who lives and works In North Cardina. By a previous marriage Judge Christian has an older daughter. Donna Christian Green. who today is a physfdan and assistant commissioner of health In St Croix. In 1966 President Johnson reappointed Almeric Christian U.S. attorney. a position he held until 1969 when President Nixon appointed him judge of the district court of the Viigin Islands. the first native born Federa Judge in the Virgin Islands. In 1970. he was .appointed chief judge. As a jurist. Aimeric Christian earned the enormous respect of both the legal community and the community as a whole. Greatly admired for his close study of each case that came before him. no lawyer dared enter his courtroom unprepared. In the courtroom Judge Christian was known for his astute and penetrating questions that cut to the quick of an argument. No one worked harder at the distict court than Almeric Christian. Failing eyesight forced him in 1986 to take senior status and he retired from the bench in Judge Christian has been a member of the Federal Bar Assodation. the board of directors of Legal Services. Corp.. the V.I. Food Commission on St Croix. the V. Housing. and Urban Renewal Authority. the. Personnel Board. the Electoral Board of St. Croix and the V.I. Board of Education. He continues to contribute to his community through service on the V.I. Montessorl School Board of Trustees. the Board of Episcopal Charities. the Columbia University Board of Visitors. and the National Bar Association. Without question Alrneric Christian is the Virgin Islands most experienced. most revered. and most celebrated jurist. He has devoted more than 45 years of his life to the legal profession and given more than 20 years to the bench. He has dedicated his entire professional career to thelaw and to ensuring that his community serves it and Is served by it. Mr. Speaker. it is with great pride that I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this great jurist. Almeric Leander Christian. by voting in favor of my legislation to name the Federal building near his birthplace. Christiansted. St. Croix. after this great Virgin Islander and man of the law.