Former State Senator, Supreme Court Judge, Dies

A former state senator who served as chief justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court and various other positions has died. Pat Irwin died Thursday in Oklahoma City. Born June 12, 1921,

Sunday, October 24th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

A former state senator who served as chief
justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court and various other positions
has died.

Pat Irwin died Thursday in Oklahoma City.

Born June 12, 1921, Irwin attended then-Southwestern State
College from 1939 to 1942. A year later, he was fighting in World
War II as a U.S. Marine Corps captain in the South Pacific.

After returning to Oklahoma in 1946, Irwin attended the
University of Oklahoma and received his law degree in 1949.

Irwin served as Dewey County attorney from 1949-50. He was
elected to the Oklahoma Senate in 1950, serving until 1954.

In 1956, he was elected to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, where he
served twice as chief justice before retiring in 1983. That year,
he was appointed U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Western District of
Oklahoma, a position he held until retiring Sept. 1.

Irwin also was secretary of the Oklahoma Land Commission and a
member of the Western States Land Commission in the 1950s.

Irwin is survived by his wife of 49 years, Margaret; daughter,
Margaret Ann Bryant; son, William J. Irwin; two grandchildren and
two great-grandchildren.

Private services were held Saturday at Rose Hill Burial Park.

Memorials may be made to the OU College of Law.