Michael J. Kirwan
| Michael Joseph Kirwan | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 19th district |
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In office January 3, 1937 – July 27, 1970 |
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| Preceded by | John G. Cooper |
| Succeeded by | Charles J. Carney |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 2, 1886 Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania |
| Died | July 27, 1970 (aged 83) Bethesda, Maryland |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Michael Joseph (Mike) Kirwan (December 2, 1886 – July 27, 1970) was a United States Democrat from Ohio who served as a Representative to the United States Congress from 1937 until his death from complications following a fall in Bethesda, Maryland in 1970 elected in the 19th electoral district of Ohio. At the peak of his long congressional career, Kirwan was hailed as one of the most influential Democratic members of Congress, particularly on matters related to conservation.
Kirwan was born in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, a manufacturing town in northeastern Pennsylvania. In 1907, he relocated to Youngstown, Ohio, a center of steel production located just west of the Pennsylvania border. During the First World War Kirwan served overseas as a sergeant in the Three Hundred and Forty-eighth Machine Gun Company with the Sixty-fourth Artillery, United States Army. Records indicate he served between 1917 and 1919. Kirwan was married to Alice Kane. They had three children, John, Michael and Mary Alice.
Upon his return to Youngstown, Kirwan established himself as an outspoken proponent of a plan to construct a Lake Erie to Ohio River canal – a proposal for which he would lobby tirelessly as Congressman from the 19th Congressional District of Ohio. Despite his later occupancy of important committee positions, however, Kirwan was unsuccessful in his efforts to achieve his most cherished goal as a lawmaker.
Throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, Kirwan was successful in garnering substantial federal support for a variety of public works projects including dams, reservoirs, public swimming pools, and public park facilities. In 1940, he also helped to secure government funding for the nation's first major housing project, Westlakes Housing Village (later known as Westlakes Terrace), which was situated west of downtown Youngstown. The housing project comprised 618 units capable of sheltering 2,500 people. Erected under government financing, the project received 90 percent of its funding ($2,862,000) on a 60-year loan basis. Upon its completion, Kirwan lauded the housing project as a welcome alternative to what had been a dilapidated residential district, and further declared that it would serve as a model for the nation.
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