WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced legislation to rename the federal building and courthouse on West 2nd Street in downtown Dayton after United States District Court Judge Walter H. Rice. U.S. Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH-10) has also introduced companion legislation in the House.
“Judge Rice has spent his career in service to Montgomery County, and it is fitting that the Dayton courthouse, where he has devoted nearly four decades of his life, bears his name,” said Brown. “I join Sen. Portman and Rep. Turner in gratitude for Judge Rice’s service to the Dayton community as we work together to honor his legacy.”
“For more than four decades, Judge Rice has been a tireless advocate for justice, the people of Dayton, and the state of Ohio,” said Portman. “This is a fitting tribute to his life’s work, and I join Senator Brown and Rep. Turner in thanking him for his service.”
“Judge Rice has dedicated his entire career to serving justice in Dayton honorably,” said Rep. Turner. “Unanimously, our community panel recommended that the federal building be named after Judge Rice. I appreciate Senators Brown and Portman introducing companion legislation to my bill in the House to name this building after Judge Rice.”
President Carter appointed Judge Rice to the U.S District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in 1980. Judge Rice served as Chief Judge of the court from 1996 until 2003. Before joining the federal bench, Judge Rice served Montgomery County as an Assistant County Prosecutor, a Municipal Court Judge, and a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas.
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