HALLORAN, WILLIAM I. (23 July 1915-7 Dec. 1941), a young journalist who was Cleveland's first WORLD WAR II casualty, was born to Lawrence and Stella (McGuire) Halloran and raised on Cleveland's west side. After graduation from CATHEDRAL LATIN SCHOOL (1933), he worked as editor of the Shopping News Junior while attending JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY. He transferred to OSU, graduating with a B.S. in journalism in 1938. He immediately began work as a United Press Internatl. reporter with the Columbus Citizen.
In early 1940, UPI transferred Halloran to Cleveland, where he worked as the UPI representative in the Cleveland Press building. With a deteriorating world situation, he left the CLEVELAND PRESS to volunteer for active duty in the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1940. After attending the U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School at Northwestern University, Halloran received an ensign's commission in June 1941. He last visited Cleveland on 25 June 1941 and reported for duty aboard the USS Arizona 5 days later. Ens. Halloran perished aboard the Arizona on 7 Dec. 1941, when it was sunk during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
Halloran became a symbol of America's loss at Pearl Harbor. Hundreds attended a memorial service at St. Ignatius Church and the Ensign William I. Halloran Club, dedicated to Navy interests, was formed. The USS Halloran was launched in 1944, and in 1945 a Cleveland city park was named in Halloran's honor. Halloran was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, American Defense Fleet Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, and World War II Freedom Medal.