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 20040H0555R3263 - 2 -
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. A29L82JAM/20040H0555R3263 - 3 -