President Clinton recently signed a law that renames the Newnan federal building the “Lewis R. Morgan United States Courthouse and Federal Building.”

Introduced by U.S. Rep. Mac Collins, R-Hampton, resolutions supporting the designation also were passed by the mayor and City Council of Newnan; the Newnan-Coweta Bar Association; the Coweta County Board of Commissioners; the mayor and City Council of LaGrange; the Troup County Bar Association; and the Troup County Board of Commissioners.

“I rise today to recognize a man whose record of community service to the state of Georgia is paralleled only by that of his contributions to the American judicial system,” Collins said during consideration of the designation.

Judge Lewis Render Morgan was a judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit until his retirement in 1996. During his career, he maintained his office and chambers in the Federal Building and Courthouse in Newnan.

“Largely because of his efforts,” Collins said, “this facility was constructed in 1968 and stands as a symbol of his integrity and commitment to American law.”

Morgan was born in LaGrange, Ga., July 14, 1913. He received his primary education in the LaGrange public school system before heading off to the hills of Ann Arbor to begin a pre-law program at the University of Michigan. Those studies culminated with a law degree from the University of Georgia in 1935.

Following his graduation, Morgan began a career of public contribution to the state, which included service as:

• Member of the Georgia General Assembly, representing Troup County.

• Administrative assistant to A. Sidney Camp, member of Congress.

• Member of the Signal Corps of the United States Army, World War II.

• City attorney for the city of LaGrange.

• County attorney for Troup County.

Morgan was appointed as a United States District Court judge for the Northern District of Georgia Aug. 10, 1961.

Four years later, he served as chief judge for the Northern District, a position which he held until 1968, when he was appointed as a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.

Finally, Oct. 1, 1981, Morgan was appointed to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

During that tenure, he served the federal judiciary in many ways, including being a member of the Judicial Conference of the United States' Committee on the Budget from 1969-1979, serving as a judge of the Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals from 1979-1987, and as a member of the Special Division of the District of Columbia's Court of Appeals for Appointing an Independent Counsel from 1978-1988.

Morgan is married to the former Sue Lorraine Phillips and has two children, Parks Healy and Sue Ann Morgan Everett. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the American Law Institute, the American Judicial Society, the Georgia Bar Association, the Troup County Bar Association and the Coweta Judicial Circuit Bar Association.

“In recognition of his service, and for the high esteem in which he is held by the members of his community, it is very fitting that the site of his office and chambers bears his name,” said Collins.

Others who helped in the effort, Collins said, include:

U. S. Rep. Bob Barr, who has supported this endeavor from the start; majority leader Dick Armey for his leadership and assistance in expediting the designation; Howard “Bo” Callaway, former congressman and secretary of the Army; L. Keith Brady, mayor of Newnan; Walter Jeff Lukken, mayor of LaGrange; the Newnan-Coweta Bar Association; the Coweta County Board of Commissioners; United States District Court judges Jack T. Camp and W. Homer Drake Jr.; United States District Court Chief Judge G. Ernest Tidwell.

“Generations to come will now have a lasting reminder of what Judge Morgan has meant, and continues to mean, to the city of Newnan,” Collins said.Ìÿ

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