Rep. Sykes Brings Community Together to Celebrate Naming Akron Post Office for Judge James R. Williams Being Signed into Law
WATCH: Rep. Sykes spoke on the House floor in January in support of passing her bill to rename the post office
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) hosted a ceremony to commemorate the naming of the Wolf Ledges Parkway Post Office Building to the “James R. Williams Post Office”. Last year, Rep. Sykes introduced legislation to name the post office in honor of the late Judge Williams, which President Biden signed into law in early January.
“Judge Williams was more than a legal scholar or a distinguished jurist, though he was certainly both. He was a trailblazer, a civil rights leader, a veteran, and a fierce advocate for equality. Today, by renaming this post office in his memory, we are not only commemorating his life – we are planting his legacy firmly in the heart of the community he loved and served,” said Rep. Sykes.
Judge Williams was a legal luminary, whose unwavering dedication to justice paved the way for future generations of leaders in Akron and across the country. Congresswoman Sykes was proud to lead the effort to name the post office to honor his memory and to serve as a reminder of the ongoing impact of his legacy on our community. She introduced the legislation last year in the 118th Congress, and it was signed into law by President Joe Biden on January 4, 2025.
In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed Judge Williams as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. He lived an impressive and meaningful life that continues to impact Ohio’s 13th District. Judge Williams was a University of Akron alumnus, a civil rights leader, a former Akron City Councilman, the first African American to serve as a Summit County Court of Common Pleas Judge, and was among the first African Americans to graduate from the University of Akron School of Law after it became affiliated with the University in 1959. During the 1960s, he served as secretary of the Akron NAACP and vice president of the Ohio NAACP. Judge Williams was also the 25th General President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and a member of Sigma Pi Phi, Fraternity, Inc., Beta Rho Boule.