William Henry Irwin (September 14, 1873 – February 24, 1948) was an American author, writer, and journalist who was associated with the muckrakers.
Early life
Irwin was born in 1873 in Oneida, New York. In his early childhood, the Irwin family moved to Clayville, New York, a farming and mining center south of Utica. In about 1878, his father moved to Leadville, Colorado, established himself in the lumber business, and brought his family there. When his business failed, Irwin's father moved the family to Twin Lakes, Colorado. A hotel business there failed too, and the family moved back to Leadville in a bungalow at 125 West Twelfth Street. In 1889, the family moved to Denver, where he graduated from high school. He said he cured himself of a diagnosed bout of tuberculosis by "roughing it" for a year as a cowboy.
University
right|thumb|Will Irwin, photo published in [[San Francisco Call December 9, 1910. page 6, to accompany the story by Mary Ashe Miller, "Will Irwin Weaves 'The City That Was' Into Strong Novel."]]
With a loan from his high school teacher, Irwin entered Stanford University in September 1894. Irwin was forced to withdraw for disciplinary reasons but was readmitted and graduated on May 24, 1899.