John Patrick Kirk (September 20, 1867,

Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti (), commonly shortened to Ypsi, is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 20,648. The city is bounded to the north by Superior Township and on the west, south, and ...

– August 22, 1952, Ypsilanti) was a

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

politician in the early 1900s. He was born on September 20, 1867, the son of Bernard Kirk (d. 1899) and Ann (Murphy) Kirk, immigrants from Ireland. He married Mary Shaff on June 20, 1898. Kirk graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1888 and became a lawyer, was

Washtenaw County Washtenaw County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the population was 372,258. The county seat is Ann Arbor. The county was authorized by legislation in 1822 and organized as a county in 1826. Washtenaw ...

prosecuting attorney from 1897 to 1900. He was commissioned as a

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

in the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

; his name is inscribed on Ypsilanti's Spanish–American War Memorial, as the highest-ranking officer. Kirk subsequently became a

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

He was a member of

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2010 ...

from Washtenaw County's 2nd district from 1903 to 1904, when he became an unsuccessful candidate for the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

for

Michigan's 2nd congressional district Michigan's 2nd congressional district is a United States congressional district in Western Michigan. The current 2nd district contains much of Michigan's old 4th congressional district, and includes all of Manistee, Mason, Lake, Osceola, Cla ...

in the 1904 general elections. He was elected mayor of Ypsilanti in 1908, defeating George D. Lockwood,PoliticalGraveyard.com
/ref> and served from 1908–1910. He was nominated as the Democratic candidate for

Lieutenant Governor of Michigan The lieutenant governor of Michigan is the second-ranking official in U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor. The current lieutenant governor by default is Garlin Gilchrist, a Democrat, who has held the office since January 1, 2019. Proce ...

in 1916, but lost. He was an unsuccessful candidate for circuit judge in Michigan 22nd Circuit in 1917. He was a delegate from Michigan to the

1936 Democratic National Convention The 1936 Democratic National Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from June 23 to 27, 1936. The convention resulted in the nomination of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Vice President John N. Garner for reelection. Changes to ru ...

, at which

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

was renominated for President. In his later career, Kirk was a bank president in Ypsilanti, where he died in 1952. He is buried in St. John Cemetery in Ypsilanti. John Kirk and his wife had 4 children. His eldest son,

Bernard Kirk Bernard C. Kirk (May 8, 1900 – December 23, 1922) was an American football player who played for Notre Dame in 1919 and for Michigan from 1921 to 1922. He was selected as an All-American at the end position in both 1921 and 1922. In December ...

, was an All-American football player who played for both the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

and the University of Michigan.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirk, John P. 1867 births 1952 deaths Politicians from Ypsilanti, Michigan Members of the Michigan House of Representatives University of Michigan Law School alumni Michigan lawyers United States Army generals Mayors of Ypsilanti, Michigan Military personnel from Michigan