A year ago Congressman Doug Collins of Gainesville announced that he and Georgia Senators Johnny Isakson and David Perdue would mount an effort to have the federal building and courthouse in downtown Gainesville renamed for late Judge Sidney O. Smith, Jr. On December 10, 2016, the measure passed Congress and on December 16, President Barack Obama signed H.R.4618 into law.
"Judge Sidney Smith served our country as a soldier in WWII and as a federal judge. His legacy is one of commitment to public service and civic duty, and that's why I introduced a bill to name Gainesville's courthouse and federal building after him," Collins said in an email statement Friday. "I am excited that his legacy will live on for years to come in a symbol of our community that bears his name."
Smith, who died in July 2012 at the age of 88, served as a judge in the Northern Judicial District of Georgia from 1965 to 1974.
The federal building is located at 121 Spring St., SE in downtown Gainesville. No timeline has been released for placing new signage on the building.
