PRINTER'S NO. 3263
No. 555 Session of 2004
INTRODUCED BY WHEATLEY, DERMODY, PISTELLA, COSTA, DIVEN,
PRESTON, GERGELY, KOTIK, MARKOSEK, READSHAW, FRANKEL,
WASHINGTON, KIRKLAND, MYERS, STURLA, CRUZ, YOUNGBLOOD,
WILLIAMS, DeWEESE, D. EVANS, PERZEL, VEON AND HORSEY,
FEBRUARY 3, 2004
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
FEBRUARY 3, 2004
A RESOLUTION
1 Honoring the Honorable K. Leroy Irvis, former Speaker of the
2 House of Representatives, on the occasion of the premiere of
3 "K. Leroy Irvis: The Lion of Pennsylvania" on February 5,
4 2004.
5 WHEREAS, The Honorable K. Leroy Irvis is one of
6 Pennsylvania's most noteworthy citizens and has achieved a
7 prominent place in its political history; and
8 WHEREAS, Born December 27, 1919, in Saugerties, New York,
9 Irvis attended public schools there and received his
10 undergraduate (summa cum laude) and graduate degrees from New
11 York State Teachers College in Albany (now the State University
12 of New York at Albany); and
13 WHEREAS, Irvis received a law degree from the University of
14 Pittsburgh Law School; and
15 WHEREAS, Irvis was awarded the title of Doctor of Laws from
16 both Lincoln University and State University of New York at
17 Albany, was the recipient of the Owens Fellowship in Law, and
1 was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and the Order of the Coif; and
2 WHEREAS, Prior to his legal and political career, Irvis
3 worked as a teacher and later as a leader of the Pennsylvania
4 House of Representatives, and he mentored members of both
5 caucuses by sharing his experience, scholarship and prophetic
6 insights; and
7 WHEREAS, Always hardworking and disciplined, Irvis also has
8 worked as a steelworker, editor, civil rights leader, news
9 commentator, law clerk, assistant district attorney, war attache
10 to the War Department and author, in addition to a preeminent
11 legislator; and
12 WHEREAS, Irvis was first elected to the House of
13 Representatives in 1958 and served his constituents in the Hill
14 District of Pittsburgh from December 1958 until his retirement
15 in November 1988; and
16 WHEREAS, During his third term, Irvis became the Democratic
17 Caucus Chairman and rose in leadership quickly, serving as
18 Majority Caucus Chairman, Minority Whip, Majority Leader and
19 ultimately as Speaker of the House of Representatives upon his
20 unanimous election in 1977; and
21 WHEREAS, When first elected Speaker in 1977, Irvis was the
22 only African-American holding this position in any state or
23 commonwealth of the United States, and he remained Speaker from
24 May 1977 until January 1979 and was reelected when his political
25 party regained majority membership in the House, from January
26 1983 until December 1988, serving as Minority Leader during the
27 interim period of 1979 to 1983; and
28 WHEREAS, Irvis was a delegate to the 1967-1968 Pennsylvania
29 Constitutional Convention; a delegate to the Democratic National
30 Conventions in 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980 and 1984; was vice
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1 chairman of the Pennsylvania Delegation to the Democratic
2 National Convention in 1980, as well as a cochairman of the
3 convention; and in 1982 was elected to serve as a member of the
4 Democratic National Committee; and
5 WHEREAS, During his legislative tenure, Irvis introduced
6 legislation to address his concerns for education, civil rights,
7 health, consumer protection, prison reform, housing and
8 governmental reform; and
9 WHEREAS, Irvis is a life member of the National Association
10 of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and serves on the
11 board of trustees of the University of Pittsburgh, is a member
12 of the Urban League, has served on the advisory board of the
13 University of Pittsburgh Medical School and has received honors
14 from the NAACP, the Conference on Black Basic Education, the
15 University of Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition;
16 and
17 WHEREAS, The University of Pittsburgh has chosen to honor his
18 exemplary accomplishments on February 5, 2004, at a black tie
19 premiere of a biographical film entitled "K. Leroy Irvis: The
20 Lion of Pennsylvania" in celebration of Black History Month;
21 therefore be it
22 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize and
23 extol the exemplary accomplishments of the Honorable K. Leroy
24 Irvis and extend its hearty congratulations on the occasion of
25 the premiere of a biographical film of his life; and be it
26 further
27 RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
28 the Honorable K. Leroy Irvis.
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