K. Leroy Irvis Papers, 1947-1995
The K. Leroy Irvis Papers document the life of one of Pennsylvania's prominent politicians. Irvis, a Democrat, represented Pittsburgh in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1958-1988. Among his achievements, Irvis was elected Speaker of the House in 1977, the first African-American to hold that position in any state legislature in the United States since Reconstruction. The collection contains a wide variety of material, including correspondence, legislative material, interviews, photographs, publications, and campaign literature.