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426:, serving in the legislature for 15 straight terms. Rep. Irvis sponsored more than 1600 bills, and is most known for bills promoting civil rights, fair housing, education, public health, highway safety, and modernization of the penal code. In 1972, after being denied accommodation by the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based Moose Lodge as the guest of a white member, Irvis was party to a case in the
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maintains a large collection of wide variety of material related to Irvis's life, career, and political activities. The collection consists of correspondence, legislative material, interviews, photographs, publications, and campaign literature. Highlights of the collection include:
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hosted a ceremony for the newly completed K. Leroy Irvis
Science Center, named in honor of his work in helping to establish the community college system in Pennsylvania and for his long career of service on behalf of Allegheny County.
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Irvis married
Katharyne Jones, and they had a son Reginald and daughter Sherri together. Katharyne died in 1958. In 1973 Irvis married Cathryn L. Edwards, who survived him, as do his grown children.
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for a time, managing a toy factory and a hot dog stand. In 1950, he left his businesses and pursued blue-collar work in steel mills and road construction, to earn money in order to go to law school.
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described Rep. Irvis as, "one of greatest legislative giants that the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has ever seen ... one of the most admired and respected Pennsylvanians we'll ever know."
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In 2003, the South Office
Building within the Pennsylvania Capitol Complex was renamed the Speaker K. Leroy Irvis Office Building. On March 25, 2013, the
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289:(December 27, 1919 – March 16, 2006) was an American educator, activist and politician based in Pennsylvania; he was the first
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His hobbies - model airplanes, brass and woodwind bands, craftsman guilds, minority arts, and wood sculpting.
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In 1988, the same year that he retired from politics, Irvis published collected poems under the title
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by
Pittsburgh's department stores. This was the first demonstration of its kind in American history.
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313:(1847–1939) of Mississippi had been the first African American to hold that position.) Irvis, a
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K. Leroy Irvis, speaker of the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives, delivers a speech.
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Irvis entered politics and was elected as the state representative from
Pittsburgh's
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renamed
Pennsylvania Hall, a student residence hall on its upper campus, to the
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His most noted achievements include the passage of legislation creating the
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934:. The University of Pittsburgh Library System, The Archives Service Center
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868:. The University of Pittsburgh Library System, The Archives Service Center
822:. The University of Pittsburgh Library System, The Archives Service Center
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Democratic Party members of the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
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Among the organizations to have formally honored Irvis are the
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University of
Pittsburgh Archives Service Center Finding Aids
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system, the Minority Business Development Authority, and the
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797:(Press release). University of Pittsburgh. June 30, 2017
744:"Black History Month Program Named for K. Leroy Irvis"
365:. He was hired as a civilian flying instructor in the
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Speakers of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
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Speakers of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
345:(now State University of New York at Albany) with a
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992:"Former Pa. House speaker K. Leroy Irvis dies"
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590:The University of Pittsburgh Library System,
343:University of New York State Teachers College
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198:January 6, 1959 – November 30, 1968
149:January 7, 1969 – November 30, 1988
98:January 4, 1983 – November 30, 1988
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973:K. Leroy Irvis' oral history video excerpts
441:and Equal Opportunity Program, the state's
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795:"Building Renamed to Honor K. Leroy Irvis"
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333:Kirkland Leroy Irvis was born in 1919 in
979:Finding aid to the K. Leroy Irvis Papers
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435:Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
63:May 23, 1977 – January 2, 1979
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842:"Funeral services for K. Leroy Irvis"
649:National Visionary Leadership Project
532:Community College of Allegheny County
523:has a K. Leroy Irvis Reading Room in
323:Pennsylvania House of Representatives
51:Pennsylvania House of Representatives
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866:"Camp Hill Prison Riots - 1989-1990"
399:In 1954 he earned a law degree from
1680:People from Ulster County, New York
645:"K. Leroy Irvis National Visionary"
377:After World War II, Irvis moved to
262:Katharyne Jones, Cathryn L. Edwards
1670:Deaths from cancer in Pennsylvania
513:Lincoln University of Pennsylvania
403:. He worked as law clerk to Judge
387:Jim Crow employment discrimination
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1685:University at Albany, SUNY alumni
1675:20th-century American legislators
774:University of Pittsburgh Pittwire
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1004:"2003 Honorees – K. Leroy Irvis"
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447:Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
1700:Educators from New York (state)
1695:Activists from New York (state)
574:K. Leroy Irvis Reading Room in
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413:Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
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550:Pennsylvania Democratic Party
932:"Awards, degrees and honors"
1705:Educators from Pennsylvania
1650:Politicians from Pittsburgh
695:Walker, William S. (2015).
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750:. University of Pittsburgh
676:. University of Pittsburgh
614:Awards, degrees and honors
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521:University of Pittsburgh
497:University of Pittsburgh
379:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
242:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
170:William Russell Robinson
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997:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
846:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
670:"K. Leroy Irvis Papers"
592:Archives Service Center
910:"Pennsylvania History"
603:Camp Hill Prison Riots
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476:He died at age 86 of
701:The Public Historian
611:Pennsylvania History
567:Irvis was Catholic.
335:Saugerties, New York
295:speaker of the house
287:Kirkland Leroy Irvis
225:Saugerties, New York
23:Kirkland Leroy Irvis
820:"Biographical data"
544:K. Leroy Irvis Hall
493:K. Leroy Irvis Hall
373:Pennsylvania career
359:Baltimore, Maryland
1008:Dominion Resources
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517:Dominion Resources
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428:U.S. Supreme Court
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776:. 27 January 2021
599:Biographical data
471:Temple University
459:This Land of Fire
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355:Harold W Thompson
341:in 1938 from the
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116:Succeeded by
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86:Jack Seltzer
81:Succeeded by
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1635:2006 deaths
1630:1919 births
1350:C. Thompson
1276:W. Lawrence
1196:J. Thompson
1157:J. Lawrence
1147:J. Lawrence
605:- 1989-1990
155:Preceded by
104:Preceded by
69:Preceded by
1624:Categories
1162:Sutherland
851:2021-02-14
780:2021-08-22
754:27 January
654:27 January
631:References
453:Later life
329:Early life
319:Pittsburgh
271:Politician
267:Profession
253:Democratic
218:1919-12-27
1587:McClinton
1537:O'Donnell
1532:Manderino
1418:Goodnough
1404:Goodnough
1322:McCormick
1264:R. Wright
1244:McCalmont
1222:H. Wright
1123:St. Clair
888:"Hobbies"
721:0272-3433
680:4 October
552:Chairman
351:education
259:Spouse(s)
194:In office
183:from the
145:In office
134:from the
109:Matt Ryan
94:In office
59:In office
1567:S. Smith
1487:Hamilton
1462:C. Smith
1401:Whitaker
1398:Spangler
1364:Marshall
1294:Olmstead
1272:Longaker
1188:Anderson
1176:F. Smith
1137:Davidson
1120:R. Smith
619:See also
315:Democrat
187:district
138:district
1557:O'Brien
1542:DeWeese
1517:Seltzer
1507:Fineman
1497:Fineman
1477:Andrews
1467:Andrews
1412:McClure
1394:Baldwin
1371:McClain
1319:Elliott
1291:Johnson
1227:Snowden
1217:Snowden
1210:Hopkins
1184:Findley
1180:Laporte
1152:Gilmore
1127:Holgate
1101:Boileau
1071:Latimer
1066:Wynkoop
1061:Bingham
986:Sources
938:May 24,
916:May 24,
894:May 24,
872:May 24,
826:May 24,
801:July 1,
578:at the
495:at the
321:in the
301:in the
297:in any
275:Teacher
227:, U.S.
1577:Cutler
1572:Turzai
1562:McCall
1552:Perzel
1442:Kilroy
1437:Turner
1432:Furman
1422:Talbot
1408:Bluett
1390:Ambler
1381:Shreve
1367:Walton
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1339:Faunce
1336:Hewitt
1313:Strang
1298:Kelley
1287:Cessna
1261:Strong
1255:Schell
1248:Cessna
1240:Packer
1235:Cooper
1206:Dewart
1167:Ritner
1096:Snyder
1091:Porter
1086:Snyder
1081:Weaver
727:
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515:, and
484:Honors
478:cancer
465:
437:, the
305:since
244:, U.S.
1582:Rozzi
1527:Irvis
1512:Irvis
1427:Sarig
1386:Alter
1356:Boyer
1347:Boyer
1310:Clark
1307:Davis
1303:Glass
1280:Davis
1258:Chase
1213:Crabb
1111:Weber
1106:Engle
1076:Evans
725:JSTOR
505:NAACP
1547:Ryan
1522:Ryan
1482:Helm
1472:Helm
1457:Sorg
1447:Fiss
1415:Hess
1360:Farr
1333:Long
1330:Myer
1316:Webb
1283:Rowe
1268:Getz
1252:Rhey
1142:Hill
1132:Hill
940:2017
918:2017
896:2017
874:2017
828:2017
803:2017
756:2018
717:ISSN
682:2013
656:2018
519:The
463:ISBN
417:WILY
232:Died
212:Born
136:19th
46:79th
1502:Lee
1492:Lee
1376:Cox
1116:Tod
709:doi
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