William Joseph Burke (September 25, 1862 – November 7, 1925) was a British-born American politician and businessman.

Biography

Burke was born in London, England, of Irish parents. He served a four-year term on the Allegheny Common Council and from 1906 to 1910 was a member of the greater city council of Pittsburgh, until its merger with Allegheny City. Burke was a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1915 to 1918. He was a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania from 1919 to 1923, as a member of the United States Republican Party. In 1922, he ran for the United States Senate from Pennsylvania as a member of the Progressive Party and came in third place, receiving 8% of the vote. In the early 1900s he became interested in the development of oil near Callery, Butler County. He was involved with organized labor as a chairman of the Order of Railroad Conductors. He was interred in the Roman Catholic Calvary Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.