| Governor
Jane Swift, Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret
H. Marshall, Speaker of the House of Representatives Thomas
M. Finneran, Senator Robert S. Creedon, Jr., Secretary
for Administration and Finance Kevin J. Sullivan, Boston
Mayor Thomas M. Menino, and many other state, federal,
and local public officials will participate in the ceremonial
signing of the legislation renaming the Historic Suffolk
County Courthouse as the John Adams Courthouse.
The public commemoration honors the substantial contribution
made by John Adams to the role of the judiciary in our
democracy. It
was John Adams’ intellect and public spirit that endowed
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the nation with
an independent judiciary. Born in Braintree (now Quincy),
Massachusetts, John Adams was an American Revolutionary
leader, Founding Father, Chief Justice of the Supreme
Judicial Court, architect of the Massachusetts Constitution,
second President of the United States, and Vice President
of the new nation under George Washington.
The John Adams Courthouse is currently being renovated
and restored to house the Supreme Judicial Court, the
Appeals Court, and the Social Law Library in 2004. Envisioned as both a judicial and civic center,
the courthouse will beckon visitors of all ages with
educational exhibits and technological displays highlighting
Massachusetts’ rich legal history. The
courthouse’s architectural features, original
oak panel courtrooms, majestic artwork of The Great
Hall ceiling will be preserved. Modern environmental
features and a fully integrated information technology
infrastructure will be added as part of the renovations.
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