08 LC 95
0805
Senate
Resolution 1206
By:
Senators Tarver of the 22nd, Powell of the 23rd, Reed of the 35th, Seay of the
34th, Jones of the 10th and others
A
RESOLUTION
Recognizing
and commending Honorable John H. "Jack" Ruffin, Jr.; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
Honorable John H. "Jack" Ruffin has long been recognized by the citizens of the
State of Georgia and Richmond County for the vital role that he has played in
leadership and his deep personal commitment to the welfare of the citizens of
Georgia; and
WHEREAS,
Judge Ruffin is a native of Waynesboro, Georgia, and attended Morehouse College
in Atlanta, Georgia, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political
Science and Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., where he earned
his law degree; and
WHEREAS,
he is a loving husband to his wife Judith, and a devoted father to his son
Brinkley, and his two grandsons, Bryson and Myles; and
WHEREAS,
he has diligently and conscientiously devoted innumerable hours of his time,
talents, and energy toward the betterment of his community and this state as
evidenced dramatically by his many years of superlative service as a Judge of
the Court of Appeals of Georgia and as a Judge of the Superior Court of the
Augusta Judicial Circuit; and
WHEREAS,
Judge Ruffin became the 62nd Judge of the Court of Appeals of Georgia when he
was administered the oath of office by Governor Zell Miller on August 24, 1994,
after 33 years of practicing law and serving on the superior court bench of the
Augusta Judicial Circuit, appointed in 1986 by Governor Joe Frank Harris, where
he served until he was appointed to the Court of Appeals; and
WHEREAS,
Judge Ruffin was the first African-American Superior Court Judge for the Augusta
Judicial Circuit, the first African-American member of the Augusta Bar
Association, the third African-American and first African-American Chief Judge
to serve on the Court of Appeals of Georgia, and the first African-American
barrister to have his likeness displayed in the Waynesboro courthouse;
and
WHEREAS,
he is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the bars of the Supreme Court of
Georgia, the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for
the Eleventh Circuit, the United States District Courts for the Southern and
Middle Districts of Georgia, and he has numerous professional, civic, and
religious affiliations; and
WHEREAS,
his significant organizational and leadership talents, his remarkable patience
and diplomacy, his keen sense of vision, his affable personality and razor wit,
and his sensitivity to the needs of the citizens of this state and his community
have earned him the respect and admiration of his colleagues and associates;
and
WHEREAS,
he is a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for
integrity, intelligence, fairness, and kindness; and
WHEREAS,
it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding accomplishments of this
remarkable and distinguished Georgian be appropriately recognized.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize
Honorable John H. "Jack" Ruffin and commend him for his efficient, effective,
unselfish, and dedicated public service and extend to him their most sincere
best wishes for continued health and happiness.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Honorable John H. "Jack"
Ruffin.