[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 21818-21819] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]RECOGNIZING THE HONORABLE FRANCES TYDINGCO-GATEWOOD ON HER INVESTITURE AS A FEDERAL JUDGE ______ HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO of guam in the house of representatives Thursday, November 9, 2006 Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Honorable Frances Marie [[Page 21819]] Tydingco-Gatewood, who was nominated by the President and sworn in on October 30, 2006 to serve as a United States District Court Chief Judge for the District of Guam. One of our island's finest jurists, Judge Tydingco-Gatewood has a distinguished career of service to our island in the judicial system. Born on January 21, 1958 on the island of Oahu, Hawaii to Daniel J. and Francesca S. Tydingco, she returned with her family to her island of Guam as a young child and grew up in the village of Mongmong-Toto- Maite. She attended Yigo Elementary School, Barrigada Junior High, Dededo Junior High and graduated from George Washington High School in Mangilao in 1976. Proving that hard work leads to success, Judge Tydingco-Gatewood earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Marquette University in 1980 and in 1983 achieved a personal milestone as she earned her law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. After graduating from law school, Judge Tydingco-Gatewood began her career as a law clerk for the Presiding Judge of the Jackson County Circuit Courts in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1984, she returned home to Guam and became the first Chamorro woman to be appointed as an Assistant Attorney General. She served as an Assistant Prosecutor in Jackson County, Missouri from 1988 to 1990, and upon returning to Guam with her new experience, became Guam's first Chamorro woman appointed as Chief Prosecutor. As Chief Prosecutor, Frances Tydingco-Gatewood exhibited the professionalism and leadership skills that would earn the respect of her peers and later appointment to the bench. She gained a reputation as a tough prosecutor and a savvy lawyer. In 1994 Governor Joseph F. Ada appointed her as a Judge in the Superior Court of Guam and in 2001 she was appointed by Governor Carl T. C. Gutierrez as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of Guam. She was appointed by Chief Justice F. Philip Carbullido to chair seven Guam Supreme Court subcommittees. She served as co-chairperson of the Family Violence Task Force where she has been a community leader in raising awareness about domestic violence. Justice Tydingco-Gatewood serves as co-chairperson for the Pacific Judicial Council Education Committee, which is dedicated to improving the education of all Justices, Judges and Courts staff for Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, American Samoa, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. It is Judge Tydingco-Gatewood's character and her distinguished career that led me to confidently recommend her for the federal bench at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on July 11, 2006. She is a leader, a role model for our young citizens, and a strong Chamorro woman who embodies the integrity and pride of the Chamorro people. On behalf of the people of Guam, it is my privilege to recognize Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood and her achievements which are an inspiration to women in Guam and throughout our nation. As she stands alongside her husband of 25 years, Dr. Robert Gatewood and their three sons, Daniel, Michael and Stephen, she has the support of our community and the confidence of the President and the Congress. We all share her joy with her family and friends and we wish her every success as she undertakes the greatest challenge of her remarkable legal career. ____________________