| February 13, 2003 |
Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-Fort Worth) today announced that Congress is primed to pass a provision she authored to name the federal courthouse in Fort Worth after former U.S. District Judge Eldon B. Mahon.
"Judge Mahon's tireless dedication to public service and commitment to justice make him a pillar of the Fort Worth community," said Representative Granger. "I can think of no better way to recognize his impact and achievements than dedicating in his honor the court house where he presided for three decades."
Judge Mahon, 84, was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas by President Lyndon B. Johnson. President Richard M. Nixon then nominated him to the Federal Court for the Northern District of Texas, which he joined in 1972. He reached senior status in 1989, but continued to be an active member of the Court until his retirement last fall.
In his three decades on the federal bench, Judge Mahon presided over many of the most significant social and political changes in North Texas. His rulings altered the methods for electing members of the Dallas City Council and the Fort Worth School Board. His proudest accomplishment was overseeing the racial integration of the Fort Worth School District, an endeavor that took 19 years.
In the last Congress, the House of Representatives unanimously passed Granger's legislation to name the Courthouse after Mahon. The bill, however, languished in the Senate. This year, Granger worked successfully to include the Mahon provision in a large appropriations bill that will fund most government agencies for the rest of fiscal 2003. That bill, House Joint Resolution 2, is expected to be approved by the House of Representatives on Thursday night and the Senate on Friday.
The federal courthouse in Fort Worth is located at 501 West 10th Street. The 100-county Northern District of Texas, with Dallas and Fort Worth as its largest divisions, has 12 federal judgeships.