Senate Concurrent Resolution 502

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE SINCEREST SYMPATHY OF THE MISSISSIPPI SENATE TO THE SURVIVING FAMILY OF FORMER MISSISSIPPI SENATOR, PRESIDING JUSTICE OF THE MISSISSIPPI COURT OF APPEALS AND RESPECTED TRIAL LAWYER JOHN JAMES FRASIER, JR., OF LEFLORE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, AND COMMENDING HIS SERVICE TO HIS COMMUNITY AND HIS STATE.

WHEREAS, it is with sadness that we note the passing of former State Senator, presiding Judge of the Mississippi Court of Appeals and WWII Veteran, John James Frasier, Jr., on July 4, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Senator Frasier was born on August 10, 1925, in Sunnyside in Leflore County to John J. Fraiser Sr., and Evelyn Wells Fraiser. He attended and graduated as class president of the Minter City school system, and thereafter enrolled at Mississippi State College, now Mississippi State University, as a 16-year-old freshman in the spring of 1942. He pledged and became a member of the Gamma Upsilon chapter of Sigma Chi Fraternity; and

WHEREAS, in July 1943, he volunteered for service in the United States Army Air Corps, where he was assigned to aerial gunnery school in Laredo, Texas. He then served as a top turret armorer gunner on a B-24 bomber of the 15th Air Force, where he completed missions over Germany, Austria, Romania, Yugoslavia and Northern Italy. Obtaining the rank of staff sergeant, he was awarded the Air Medal with clusters for his service in five battle zones. He returned to the United States in the spring of 1945, was honorably discharged in October 1945, entered the University of Mississippi in February 1946 and graduated in 1948 with his Bachelor of Laws and Juris Doctorate; and

WHEREAS, in law school, he was a member of Phi Alpha Delta, national honorary scholastic legal fraternity. John returned to the Mississippi Delta and began his legal practice in Greenwood as an associate of Honorary Means Johnston. He successfully practiced law in Greenwood as the senior partner of the Fraiser-Burgoon Law Firm until 1989. He served as president of the local bar association and was an active member of the Mississippi Bar Association; and

WHEREAS, in addition to his law practice, John engaged in many community service activities. He was chairman of the Leflore District of Boy Scouts of America, director of the Leflore County Salvation Army, Leflore County chairman of the March of Dimes, vice president of the Greenwood Junior Chamber of Commerce, president of the Greenwood Kiwanis Club and chairman of Mississippi School for Cerebral Palsy. As a result of his civic service, John was presented the Distinguished Service Award as the most outstanding young man of Greenwood for 1955; and

WHEREAS, in 1975, John was elected to the office of State Senator of his district, where he served as Senate chairman of Education, vice chairman of Judiciary, chairman of Universities and Colleges and was a member of the Senate Appropriations Committees. He was the Senate author of the 16th Section Land Reform Act, co-author of the Math and Science Program Act at Mississippi University for Women, co-author of the Education Reform Act and a staunch supporter of the first funding for the veterinary school and co-author for the establishment of the School of Architecture at Mississippi State University. He retired from the Senate office after eight years of service; and

WHEREAS, through his leadership, the Mississippi Court of Appeals was established in 1994 to ease a backlog of cases in the Mississippi Supreme Court. In 1995, he was elected as a judge for the newly formed appellate court and was selected to serve as the first chief judge of the Mississippi Court of Appeals, where he and the other appellate judges helped to drastically reduce the time that it took for cases to work through the appellate system — going from 1,031 days to 220 days. He then tendered his resignation from the court, retired and returned to Greenwood; and

WHEREAS, in 2000, he and his beloved wife Jennie moved to Starkville full time, where they became avid participants in all things Mississippi State University — sports, academics and public programs hosted by the University. Together they attended many memorable moments of MSU life, especially trips to the Collegiate Baseball World Series where they witnessed Mississippi State win the College World Series. John was awarded the Honorary Doctorate of Public Service by Mississippi State in May 2020. He was an active member of the Starkville Rotary Club; and

WHEREAS, he was a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church and served on the Board of Trustees of the Minter City Methodist Church, the United Methodist Church of Greenwood and the North Greenwood United Methodist Church. Since moving to Starkville, he and Jennie have been members of First United Methodist Church, where he was a member of the Savage Sunday School; and

WHEREAS, he was preceded in death by his parents, his two sisters and brothers-in-law, Juanita and Bobby Baker and Marguerite and Robert Montgomery; granddaughter, Lucille Fraiser; and son-in-law, Felton Bryant. He is survived by his son, John J. Fraiser III; his daughter, Martha Fraiser Bryant; stepson, James L. "Jim" Whitehead IV; stepdaughter, Emilie Whitehead Odom (Mike); and grandchildren: Mary Adelyn Fraiser, Paul Fraiser, Jenn Odom and Asher Odom (Sarah); and

WHEREAS, while John loved the practice of law and his other professional endeavors, he considered his greatest achievement to be his family. John served as a leader and mentor. He consistently lectured on professional standards of the practice, including ethics, integrity, civility, courtesy and adherence to the Golden Rule. He advised his colleagues: "One only has so many points of Personal Privilege, use them wisely." Frasier was a public servant who brought people together. He was truly a servant of the people. Frasier was a statesman of the highest order. John's life honored both The Mississippi Bar and this great state that he loved and served:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby extend the sincerest sympathy of the Mississippi Senate to the surviving family of former Mississippi Senator, Presiding Judge of the Mississippi Court of Appeals and respected trial lawyer John James Frasier, Jr., of Leflore County, Mississippi, and commend his service to his community and his state.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the surviving family of former Senator John James Frasier, Jr., forwarded to The Mississippi Bar, and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.