Michael J. Kirwan
Encyclopedia
Michael Joseph Kirwan was a United States
Democrat
from Ohio
who served as a Representative
to the United States Congress
from 1937 to 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.
, 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.
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.
In later years, Westlakes Terrace, like other low-income housing projects, yielded mixed results. The provision of cheap housing proved to be inadequate compensation for the loss of thousands of urban jobs, the decline of public transportation, the advent of suburbanization
, and a host of other trends that adversely affected urban dwellers. Westlakes Terrace was recently converted to other purposes.
Powerful testimony to Kirwan's growing influence in the U.S. Congress came in 1948, when he was unanimously elected chairman of the National Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the first time a Northern Democrat had been named to that important post. In 1954, Kirwan was widely credited among Democratic Congressional leaders as the architect of the party's success in the November congressional elections. Despite his advancing years, he announced on December 3, 1957 (his 71st birthday) that he would seek a 12th term in Congress. The following year, Kirwan was among scores of Mahoning Valley
Democratic candidates who secured sweeping victories; and in 1959, he was elected to his seventh term as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Ballroom. The keynote speaker at that event was U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy
, who would run successfully as the Democratic presidential candidate the following year. In 1968, after being elected to his 17th term as a congressman, Kirwan announced that he would retire from public office at the close of his term. The following year, he was injured in a fall at the University Club at Washington, D.C., and was confined to Bethesda Naval Hospital. Kirwan experienced failing health for the next several months and died in Bethesda in 1970. His funeral was attended by more than 600 people, including a delegation of 50 members of Congress. He is buried at Calvary
Cemetery, in Youngstown, Ohio.
, which swept through much of northeastern Ohio starting in the late 1970s.
The primary educational television station
in American Samoa
bears Kirwan's name.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
who served as a Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
to the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
from 1937 to 1970 elected in the 19th electoral district
Ohio's 19th congressional district
Ohio's 19th congressional district was created following the 1830 census and was eliminated after the 2000 census.From 1992-2002 it included all of Lake County and Ashtabula County together with a collection of Eastern suburbs of Cleveland...
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.
Early years
Kirwan was born in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, PennsylvaniaLuzerne County, Pennsylvania
- Demographics :As of the 2010 census, the county was 90.7% White, 3.4% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 3.3% were of some other race, and 1.5% were two or more races. 6.7% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry...
, a manufacturing town in northeastern Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. In 1907, he relocated to Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, 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
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Records indicate he served between 1917 and 1919.
Political career
Upon his return to Youngstown, Kirwan established himself as an outspoken proponent of a plan to construct a Lake ErieLake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
to Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
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.
In later years, Westlakes Terrace, like other low-income housing projects, yielded mixed results. The provision of cheap housing proved to be inadequate compensation for the loss of thousands of urban jobs, the decline of public transportation, the advent of suburbanization
Suburbanization
Suburbanization a term used to describe the growth of areas on the fringes of major cities. It is one of the many causes of the increase in urban sprawl. Many residents of metropolitan regions work within the central urban area, choosing instead to live in satellite communities called suburbs...
, and a host of other trends that adversely affected urban dwellers. Westlakes Terrace was recently converted to other purposes.
Powerful testimony to Kirwan's growing influence in the U.S. Congress came in 1948, when he was unanimously elected chairman of the National Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the first time a Northern Democrat had been named to that important post. In 1954, Kirwan was widely credited among Democratic Congressional leaders as the architect of the party's success in the November congressional elections. Despite his advancing years, he announced on December 3, 1957 (his 71st birthday) that he would seek a 12th term in Congress. The following year, Kirwan was among scores of Mahoning Valley
Mahoning Valley
The Mahoning Valley is a geographic valley encompassing the area of northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania that drains into the Mahoning River. The Mahoning River empties into the Beaver River, which empties into the Ohio River. The Mahoning River flows through Lawrence and Mercer counties in...
Democratic candidates who secured sweeping victories; and in 1959, he was elected to his seventh term as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Final years
Among the highlights of Kirwan's later career was an event held in his honor at Youngstown's Idora ParkIdora Park
Idora Park was a Victorian era trolley park in north Oakland, California constructed in 1904 on the site of an informal park setting called Ayala Park on the north banks of Temescal Creek. Idora Park was leased by the Ingersoll Pleasure and Amusement Park Company that ran several eastern pleasure...
Ballroom. The keynote speaker at that event was U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, who would run successfully as the Democratic presidential candidate the following year. In 1968, after being elected to his 17th term as a congressman, Kirwan announced that he would retire from public office at the close of his term. The following year, he was injured in a fall at the University Club at Washington, D.C., and was confined to Bethesda Naval Hospital. Kirwan experienced failing health for the next several months and died in Bethesda in 1970. His funeral was attended by more than 600 people, including a delegation of 50 members of Congress. He is buried at Calvary
Calvary
Calvary or Golgotha was the site, outside of ancient Jerusalem’s early first century walls, at which the crucifixion of Jesus is said to have occurred. Calvary and Golgotha are the English names for the site used in Western Christianity...
Cemetery, in Youngstown, Ohio.
Legacy
While aspects of Kirwan's legacy have proved durable, the constituency he served was adversely affected by deindustrializationDeindustrialization
Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially heavy industry or manufacturing industry. It is an opposite of industrialization.- Multiple interpretations :There are multiple...
, which swept through much of northeastern Ohio starting in the late 1970s.
The primary educational television station
Michael J. Kirwan Educational Television Center
The Michael J. Kirwan Educational Television Center, also known as KVZK-TV or KVZK Building, is a historic and current educational television center in the Western District of American Samoa.The National Park Service describes it as follows:...
in American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
bears Kirwan's name.
Election results
| Year | Democratic | Republican | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Michael J. Kirwan: 101,813 | Donald J. Lewis: 44,363 | |
| 1966 | Michael J. Kirwan: 86,975 | Donald J. Lewis: 34,037 | |
| 1964 | Michael J. Kirwan: 111,682 | Albert James: 34,654 | |
| 1962 | Michael J. Kirwan: 75,967 | William Vincent Williams: 46,200 | |
| 1960 | Michael J. Kirwan: 102,874 | Paul E. Stevens: 46,537 | |
| 1958 | Michael J. Kirwan: 93,660 | Loren E. Van Brocklin: 31,192 | |
| 1956 | Michael J. Kirwan: 92,924 | Ralph E. Turner: 42,293 | |
| 1954 | Michael J. Kirwan: 81,304 | David S. Edwards: 33,352 | |
| 1952 | Michael J. Kirwan: 91,074 | Allen Russell: 46,202 | |
| 1950 | Michael J. Kirwan: 119,245 | Henry P. Kosling: 67,661 | |
| 1948 | Michael J. Kirwan: 134,408 | William Bacon: 63,079 | |
| 1946 | Michael J. Kirwan: 88,872 | Norman W. Adams: 59,607 | |
| 1944 | Michael J. Kirwan: 120,191 | Herschel Hunt: 69,403 | |
| 1942 | Michael J. Kirwan: 60,248 | James T. Begg James T. Begg James Thomas Begg was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.-Biography:Born on a farm near Lima, Ohio, Begg attended the public and high schools of Columbus Grove, and Lima College.... : 46,567 |
|
| 1940 | Michael J. Kirwan: 122,075 | Charles H. Anderson: 75,016 | |
| 1938 | Michael J. Kirwan: 76,268 | William P. Barnum: 69,214 |
External links
- Kirwan Interview Notes
- Michael J. Kirwan Dam and Reservoir
- Election Results, U.S. Representative from Ohio, 19th District