Byron Dorgan: “the legislation we will vote on after lunch contains a provision that will name a Federal courthouse in Grand Forks, ND.…”

“the legislation we will vote on after lunch contains a provision that will name a Federal courthouse in Grand Forks, ND. A Federal building in Grand Forks, ND, will be named the Judge Ronald N. Davies Federal Building. I want to describe to my colleagues something about Judge Ronald Davies. Some of my colleagues may have had the opportunity to visit the Norman Rockwell exhibit at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in downtown Washington, DC. Among the many examples of Americana in the Gallery is a famous painting of a little African American girl, hair in pigtails, head held high, being escorted into a school by U.S. marshals. It was the result of a ruling by an unassuming Federal judge, a son of North Dakota, that allowed this Nation to take one large step forward in expanding America's dream for all Americans. Forty-three years ago this month, on September 7, 1957, a Federal judge from North Dakota was asked to go to Arkansas to sit as a Federal judge and render a decision on a case involving civil rights. Surrounded by security guards because of threats on his life, Judge Ronald Davies carefully weighed the facts and the law and then issued an order that the New York Times later said was a landmark decision in civil rights, ordering the integration of the Little Rock public schools. Most people will not know the name of Ron Davies, but Judge Davies is one of North Dakota's proudest sons.…”