Irish, John P. (John Powell), 1843-1923

John Powell Irish, editor, attorney, farmer, law-maker, humanitarian, and official, was born in Iowa City, Iowa, 1 January 1843. Irish was a school teacher and was admitted to the bar before he entered the field of journalism. He served in the Iowa state legislature (1869-1872) and in 1880 moved to California, where he was editor of the Times (Oakland) and the Alta California. In 1894 he was appointed naval customs officer of the Port of San Francisco. Irish also wrote, spoke and acted on behalf of the rights of people of Japanese descent living in the United States. He died in 1923.

From the description of John Powell Irish papers, 1882-1923. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122552756

BIOGRAPHY

John Powell Irish (Colonel), editor, attorney, farmer, law-maker, humanitarian and official was born in Iowa City, Iowa, January 1, 1843. He was educated in the primitive public schools of the frontier. As a young man, Irish was a school teacher and then was admitted to the bar in Iowa before he entered journalism as a profession. For twenty years he was editor of the Iowa State Press. In Iowa he was three times elected a representative to the state legislature, 1869-1872. He married Annie Fletcher in 1872. In 1880 he moved to California where he later was editor of the Times (Oakland) and the Alta California.

Politically, Irish was a "Gold" Democrat and he spoke on economic and financial questions, centering on the sound money and the gold standard viewpoints. In California, Irish became concerned with the treatment of people of Japanese descent living in the United States and he wrote, spoke and acted on the behalf of these people for many years. He founded and organized the American Committee on Justice to further this cause.

John P. Irish was appointed naval customs officer of the Port of San Francisco, 1894, and he was thereafter known as "Colonel" Irish. For twenty-five years Irish was a director of the California Blind Directory Home. He died on October 6, 1923, from an accidental fall when attempting to board a moving streetcar in Oakland, California.

From the guide to the John Powell Irish Papers, 1882-1923, (Stanford University. Libraries. Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives.)