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S. 917

STATUS INFORMATION

Senate Resolution
Sponsors: Senators Jackson, Alexander, Anderson, Bright, Bryant, Campbell, Campsen, Cleary, Coleman, Courson, Cromer, Davis, Elliott, Fair, Ford, Gregory, Grooms, Hayes, Hutto, Knotts, Land, Leatherman, Leventis, Lourie, Malloy, L. Martin, S. Martin, Massey, Matthews, McConnell, McGill, Nicholson, O'Dell, Peeler, Pinckney, Rankin, Reese, Rose, Ryberg, Scott, Setzler, Sheheen, Shoopman, Thomas, Verdin and Williams
Document Path: l:\council\bills\gm\24838cm11.docx

Introduced in the Senate on May 24, 2011
Adopted by the Senate on May 24, 2011

Summary: Honorable Matthew J. Perry Jr.

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
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   5/24/2011  Senate  Introduced and adopted (Senate Journal-page 14)

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

5/24/2011

TO RECOGNIZE AND COMMEND THE HONORABLE MATTHEW J. PERRY, JR., FOR HIS YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE PRACTICE AND ADMINISTRATION OF LAW FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE PALMETTO STATE AND OUR NATION.

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina Senate are pleased to learn that The Honorable Matthew J. Perry, Jr., will be honored at an event to be held on August 19, 2011; and

Whereas, born in Columbia on August 4, 1921, he is the son of the late Matthew J. and Jennie Lyles Perry, and he was educated in public schools in Columbia, graduating in 1939 from Booker T. Washington High School; and

Whereas, he served in the United States Army with distinction during some of the darkest hours of our nation's history from 1942 to 1946; and

Whereas, in 1948, he graduated from South Carolina State College with a bachelor's degree in business administration and in 1951 with a bachelor of laws from his alma mater's School of Law; and

Whereas, from 1951 to 1961, he was in private law practice in Spartanburg and then in Columbia from 1961 to 1976; and

Whereas, Matthew Perry led the successful court case in 1963 to integrate Clemson University, which led to the integration of the University of South Carolina the following year, and he also led a major case for reapportionment in South Carolina in 1973; and

Whereas, in 1975, he was nominated by President Gerald Ford and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate to serve on the United States Court of Military Appeals; and

Whereas, President Jimmy Carter nominated him to serve as a United States District Judge, and he was again unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 1979, the state's first African American federal judge; and

Whereas, on October 1, 1995, he took senior judge status, and in 2004, the new federal courthouse in Columbia was dedicated the "Matthew J. Perry United States Courthouse" in his honor; and

Whereas, among the honorary degrees conferred on him are doctor of laws from Princeton University, South Carolina State College, the University of South Carolina, The Citadel, Central Michigan University, and Benedict, Voorhees, and Claflin colleges; doctor of humanities from Clemson University; and doctor of humane letters from Wofford and Presbyterian colleges; and

Whereas, in 1986, he received the Order of the Palmetto, the state's highest civilian award, from Governor Richard W. Riley, and he was inducted into the National Bar Association Hall of Fame in 1995, and the South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2007; and

Whereas, he received the 1972 and 1980 Distinguished Alumnus Award from South Carolina State College and the William R. Ming Advocacy Award from the NAACP and was named South Carolinian of the Year from Cosmos Broadcasting Company and the 1967 Distinguished Native Son from the South Carolina Conference of Branches of the NAACP; and

Whereas, he was awarded the 2005 War Horse Award from the Southern Trial Lawyers Association, the 2005 Sarah T. Hughes Civil Rights Award from the Federal Bar Association, the 2006 Soaring Eagle Award from the American Trial Lawyers Association, and the 2007 Thurgood Marshall Award from the American Bar Association; and

Whereas, he is a member of the John Belton O'Neal Inns of Court, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, the Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity, and the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity; and

Whereas, together with his beloved wife, the former Hallie Bacote of Timmonsville, he reared a fine son, Michael, and he is a member of Zion Baptist Church; and

Whereas, the members of the Senate of the State of South Carolina are grateful for the legacy that The Honorable Matthew J. Perry, Jr., has given to the Palmetto State and for the standard of excellence he has set in jurisprudence. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate:

That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, recognize and commend The Honorable Matthew J. Perry, Jr., for his years of service in the practice and administration of law for the citizens of the Palmetto State and our nation.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to The Honorable Matthew J. Perry, Jr., Senior United States District Judge.

This web page was last updated on Tuesday, December 10, 2013 at 10:05 A.M.