K. Leroy Irvis
| K. Leroy Irvis | |
|---|---|
| 130th Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives | |
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In office May 23, 1977 – November 30, 1978 |
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| Preceded by | Herbert Fineman |
| Succeeded by | Jack Seltzer |
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In office January 4, 1983 – November 30, 1988 |
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| Preceded by | Matt Ryan |
| Succeeded by | James Manderino |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 19th district |
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In office January 7, 1969 – November 30, 1988 |
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| Preceded by | District created |
| Succeeded by | William Russell Robinson |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the Allegheny County district |
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In office January 6, 1959 – November 30, 1968 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 27, 1919 Saugerties, New York |
| Died | March 16, 2006 (aged 86) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Katharyne Jones, Cathryn L. Edwards |
| Profession | Politician |
K. Leroy Irvis (December 27, 1919 – March 16, 2006) was the first African American to serve as a speaker of the house in any state legislature in the United States since Reconstruction. John Roy Lynch (1847–1939) of Mississippi was the first African American to hold that position. Mr. Irvis, a Democrat, represented Pittsburgh in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1958–1988.
Kirkland Leroy Irvis was born in Saugerties, New York, son of Francis H. and Harriet Irvis. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of New York State Teachers College in 1938 with a master's degree in education—only the second black American to graduate from the college. Irvis proceeded to teach English and history in Baltimore high schools until World War II, when he became a civilian flying instructor in the War Department.
After World War II, he moved to Pittsburgh and began working as the public relations secretary for the local chapter of the Urban League. While with the Urban League, he led a demonstration against Jim Crow employment discrimination by Pittsburgh's department stores in 1947, the first demonstration of its kind in American history [1]. It is likely that Mr. Irvis was blackballed from private-sector jobs for quite some time as a result.
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