[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 16] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 21729-21730] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]A TRIBUTE TO ROMALLUS O. MURPHY ______ HON. G.K. BUTTERFIELD of north carolina in the house of representatives Friday, September 29, 2006 Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding citizen and a person whom I admire greatly, attorney Romallus O. Murphy of Greensboro, North Carolina. The meaningful accomplishments of Romallus Murphy have affected the lives of many people across the State of North Carolina and across this Nation. On October 14, 2006, this great American will be justly honored by the North Carolina State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP, for his many meaningful years of remarkable service. At the Conference they will also announce a fitting tribute, the establishment of an Annual Continuing Legal Education Program bearing the name of Romallus Murphy. The yearly award will assist lawyers in refining their skills and renewing their dedication to honorable, steadfast service which has been the hallmark of his career. Mr. Speaker, Romallus Murphy served as Chair of the Legal Redress Committee of the North Carolina Conference of the NAACP since the 1960s. Over the last half-century, he and those he has inspired have given invaluable counsel to clients and young lawyers [[Page 21730]] alike who were and still are engaged in dismantling the old walls that have divided people of North Carolina along artificial lines of color and creed. Romallus Murphy is a native of Houston, Texas. He attended college at Howard University in Washington, DC, and graduated in 1951. He briefly attended the School of Law at Howard University but finished his legal education at the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1956 where he was the only student of color. Mr. Speaker, Romallus Murphy began his legal career in my home community of Wilson, North Carolina. He was the only African-American attorney in this eastern North Carolina community. As such, he was a role model to countless individuals. I attribute my desire to become a lawyer to the tremendous impression he made upon my young life. Mr. Speaker, in 1957 the Wilson City Council changed its election procedure to require at-large elections and a provision requiring voters to vote for a full slate. Anything less than a full slate was considered a spoiled ballot. The purpose of these discriminatory changes in election procedure resulted in the Black candidate, Dr. G.K. Butterfield, being defeated. In 1959, another Black candidate ran for a seat on the City Council but was required to run in the new at-large election system and be subjected to the full slate requirement. The candidate, Reverend Talmage A. Watkins, was soundly defeated and his defeat was directly attributable to the new elections procedure. In response, the community retained Romallus Murphy to bring a voting lawsuit against the City of Wilson. Mr. Murphy litigated the case through the state courts and eventually argued the case before the United States Supreme Court. Though unsuccessful, the case was part of the record that convinced the Congress to enact the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Mr. Speaker, Romallus Murphy served in the United States Air Force and was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain. He was assigned to Shaw Air Force Base, Sumter, South Carolina, Clovis Air Force Base, Clovis, New Mexico, and Japan. Romallus Murphy served as President of Shaw College in Detroit, Michigan, for several years. He also practiced law in the capital city of Raleigh, North Carolina, with renowned civil rights lawyer, Samuel Mitchell. He currently practices law in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he serves a community that is appreciative of his work. In 1987, Romallus Murphy was legal counsel to the North Carolina State Conference of Branches for the NAACP. He was part of the legal team that forced the State of North Carolina to create electoral opportunities for Black lawyers to become Superior Court Judges. His lawsuit was the catalyst that forced the General Assembly to create majority black judicial districts. As a result of this effort, at least eight African-American judges were elected to the Superior Court bench. Currently, Romallus Murphy is a practicing attorney in Greensboro, North Carolina. He is a member of Genesis Baptist Church. He is married to Gale Bostic Murphy and he has six children: Natalie, Kim, Romallus Jr., Wynette, Verna, and Christian. Mr. Speaker, placing this tribute into the Congressional Record is a great personal honor for me. I ask my colleagues to join me and the delegates to the North Carolina Conference in paying tribute to this courageous attorney who has worked to foster and continue our Nation's founding principle--that all men and women are created equal. ____________________