Born in Phoenixville in 1934, “Irish” Joe Rowan was a lifelong Phoenixville resident and attended Phoenixville High School. A veteran, Rowan served in the U.S. Army in the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and trained a championship Army boxing team.

“Irish” Joe began boxing in 1950 at the Saint Ann Italian Club in Phoenixville. Rowan was the Golden Gloves amateur champion in 1951-52. He won 26 consecutive amateur bouts before losing to Floyd Patterson in the Olympic trials at the Boston Garden in April of 1952.

After turning professional in 1952, “Irish” Joe hit the “big time” in 1955 with a sensational first-round knockout of Bert Whitehurst. Rowan fought on national television 11 times, including a bout against Wayne Bethea, in which “Irish” Joe broke his right hand and still went on to win a 10-round decision.

Rowan boxed twice in Yankee Stadium, eight times in Madison Square Garden and was the only Phoenixville boxer ever to be showcased in the main event at “The Garden.” In that match, he lost to future light-heavyweight champion Willie Pastrano.

“Irish” Joe proudly represented Phoenixville throughout the nation, facing the top-10 rated boxers of his time. In 1955-56, he was rated by Ring Magazine in their top 10 as a heavyweight. In addition to New York, Rowan’s boxing career included matches in Portland (OR), Seattle, Washington, D.C., Houston, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Paul (MN), Miami, and, 15 bouts in Philadelphia (near his hometown of Phoenixville).

During his career, Rowan fought as a middleweight, light-heavyweight and heavyweight. “Irish” Joe retired in 1959 with a very respectable professional record of 40-16-1 with 14 knockouts. He then turned his talents towards training future boxers in Phoenixville. Rowan assisted with the CYO boxing program at St. Ann’s School, started a boxing program at the Phoenixville Civic Center, and trained fighters at Valley Forge Christian College.

“I was knocked down about 11 times in my career,” Rowan once said proudly. “But, I always got back up.” “Irish” Joe died in his beloved Phoenixville in 1993 at the age of 59. Rowan was honored posthumously by having a children’s park on High Street on Phoenixville’s north side named in his memory, Joe Rowan Memorial Park.