PRINTER'S NO. 3246
No. 601 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY WILLIAMS, WHEATLEY, BLACKWELL, JAMES, PAYTON AND
D. O'BRIEN, FEBRUARY 14, 2008
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
FEBRUARY 14, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Commemorating the achievements and contributions the late
2 Honorable K. Leroy Irvis made to the General Assembly and the
3 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
4 WHEREAS, K. Leroy Irvis was born in Saugerties, New York, on
5 December 27, 1919; and
6 WHEREAS, In 1938 Mr. Irvis became only the second African
7 American to graduate from the University of New York State
8 Teachers College, graduating summa cum laude; and
9 WHEREAS, Mr. Irvis received a master's degree from the State
10 University of New York at Albany and earned a law degree from
11 the University of Pittsburgh; and
12 WHEREAS, Mr. Irvis put his master's degree in education to
13 good use teaching English and history in Baltimore high schools;
14 and
15 WHEREAS, Mr. Irvis became a civilian flying instructor in the
16 War Department during World War II; and
17 WHEREAS, As a young community activist in Pittsburgh, Mr.
18 Irvis organized the first demonstration in the United States
1 against department stores for their discriminatory hiring
2 practices against African Americans; and
3 WHEREAS, Mr. Irvis was elected to the Pennsylvania House of
4 Representatives in 1958 and was subsequently reelected 15
5 consecutive times; and
6 WHEREAS, Mr. Irvis served the House of Representatives and
7 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with distinction as Minority
8 Caucus Chairman, Majority Caucus Chairman, Minority Whip,
9 Minority Leader and Majority Leader; and
10 WHEREAS, Mr. Irvis was elected the 130th Speaker of the House
11 of Representatives, becoming the first Speaker of African-
12 American heritage in the United States; and
13 WHEREAS, In his acknowledgement speech upon becoming Speaker,
14 Mr. Irvis remarked, "You have elected not a black man to be
15 Speaker of the House of Representatives, but more importantly,
16 you have elected a man who happens to be black, and that is the
17 direction that this country must continue to go"; and
18 WHEREAS, Mr. Irvis served ably as Speaker from 1977 to 1978
19 and from 1983 to 1988 and sponsored a record 264 bills that
20 became law during his legislative career; and
21 WHEREAS, Mr. Irvis retired from politics in 1988 and then
22 authored a book of poems entitled "This Land of Fire"; and
23 WHEREAS, Mr. Irvis was also a gifted artist whose wood
24 sculptures have been displayed in exhibits throughout the United
25 States; and
26 WHEREAS, Mr. Irvis was a legislative leader in many areas of
27 public policy, including education, civil rights, health,
28 consumer protection, housing and governmental reform; and
29 WHEREAS, Many organizations and institutions have honored Mr.
30 Irvis for his distinguished record of public service, including
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1 the NAACP, the University of Pennsylvania, Lincoln University of
2 Pennsylvania, the Urban League, the University of Pittsburgh and
3 the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition; and
4 WHEREAS, As a fitting tribute to his distinguished service to
5 the General Assembly and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the
6 South Office Building in the Capitol Complex in Harrisburg has
7 been formally renamed the Speaker K. Leroy Irvis Office
8 Building; and
9 WHEREAS, On March 16, 2006, Mr. Irvis died at the age of 86;
10 therefore be it
11 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor and
12 commemorate the lifetime of service and achievement of the
13 Honorable K. Leroy Irvis.
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