List of governors of the United States Virgin Islands
The governor of the United States Virgin Islands is the head of government of the United States Virgin Islands whose responsibilities also include making the annual State of the Territory addresses to the Virgin Islands Legislature , submitting the budget, and ensuring that territory public laws are enforced. The position was created through the passage of the Elective Governor Acts of 1968 which took effect in 1970. Melvin Herbert Evans was the first elected governor.
The following is a list of governors of the United States Virgin Islands . For governors of the territory that is now the U.S. Virgin Islands prior to United States administration (while it was ruled by Denmark as the Danish West Indies ), see List of governors of the Danish West Indies .
Appointed governors (1917–1970)
Naval governors (1917–1931)
No.
Portrait
Name(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Appointed by
Took office
Left office
Time in office
–
CaptainEdwin Taylor Pollock (1870–1943) Acting
March 31, 1917
April 20, 1917
20 days
Woodrow Wilson
1
Rear AdmiralJames Harrison Oliver (1857–1928)
April 20, 1917
April 8, 1919
1 year, 353 days
Woodrow Wilson
2
Rear AdmiralJoseph Wallace Oman (1864–1941)
April 8, 1919
April 26, 1921
2 years, 18 days
Woodrow Wilson
3
Rear AdmiralSumner Ely Wetmore Kittelle (1867–1950)
April 26, 1921
September 16, 1922
1 year, 143 days
Warren G. Harding
4
CaptainHenry Hughes Hough (1871–1943)
September 16, 1922
December 3, 1923
1 year, 78 days
Warren G. Harding
5
CaptainPhilip Williams (1869–1942)
December 3, 1923
September 11, 1925
1 year, 282 days
Calvin Coolidge
6
CaptainMartin Edward Trench (1869–1927)
September 12, 1925
January 6, 1927 †
1 year, 116 days
Calvin Coolidge
7
CaptainWaldo A. Evans (1869–1936)
January 19, 1927
March 18, 1931
4 years, 58 days
Calvin Coolidge
Civilian governors (1931–1970)
No.
Portrait
Name(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Party
Appointed by
Took office
Left office
Time in office
1
Paul Martin Pearson (1871–1938)
March 18, 1931
July 23, 1935
4 years, 127 days
Republican
Herbert Hoover
–
Robert Herrick (1868–1938) Acting
July 23, 1935
August 21, 1935
29 days
Democratic
Franklin D. Roosevelt
2
Lawrence William Cramer (1897–1978)
August 21, 1935
December 14, 1940
5 years, 115 days
Democratic
Franklin D. Roosevelt
–
Robert Morss Lovett (1870–1956) Acting
December 14, 1940
February 3, 1941
51 days
Democratic
Franklin D. Roosevelt
3
Charles Harwood (1880–1950)
February 3, 1941
May 17, 1946
5 years, 103 days
Democratic
Franklin D. Roosevelt
4
William H. Hastie (1904–1976)
May 17, 1946
October 21, 1949
3 years, 157 days
Democratic
Harry S. Truman
–
Morris Fidanque de Castro (1902–1966)
October 21, 1949
March 4, 1950
134 days
Democratic
Harry S. Truman
5
March 4, 1950
April 9, 1954
4 years, 36 days
6
Archie Alexander (1888–1958)
April 9, 1954
August 18, 1955
1 year, 131 days
Republican
Dwight D. Eisenhower
–
Charles Kenneth Claunch (1899–1978) Acting
August 18, 1955
October 17, 1955
60 days
Republican
Dwight D. Eisenhower
7
Walter A. Gordon (1894–1976)
October 17, 1955
September 25, 1958
2 years, 343 days
Republican
Dwight D. Eisenhower
8
John David Merwin (1921–2013)
September 25, 1958
April 5, 1961
2 years, 192 days
Republican
Dwight D. Eisenhower
9
Ralph Moses Paiewonsky (1907–1991)
April 5, 1961
February 12, 1969
8 years, 42 days
Democratic
John F. Kennedy
–
Cyril King (1921–1978) Acting
February 12, 1969
July 1, 1969
139 days
Independent Citizens Movement
Richard Nixon
10
Melvin H. Evans (1917–1984)
July 1, 1969
November 1, 1970
1 year, 123 days
Republican
Richard Nixon
Elected governors (1970–present)
Parties
Republican (1)
Independent Citizens Movement (1)
Democratic (4)
Independent (3)
No.
Portrait
Name(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Party
Election
Took office
Left office
Time in office
1
Melvin H. Evans (1917–1984)
November 1, 1970
January 6, 1975
4 years, 66 days
Republican
1970
2
Cyril King (1921–1978)
January 6, 1975
January 2, 1978
2 years, 361 days
Independent Citizens Movement
1974
3
Juan Francisco Luis (1940–2011)
January 2, 1978
January 5, 1987
9 years, 3 days
Independent Citizens Movement (until 1979)
1978 1982
Independent (1979 onward)
4
Alexander Farrelly (1923–2002)
January 5, 1987
January 2, 1995
7 years, 362 days
Democratic
1986 1990
5
Roy Schneider (1939–2022)
January 2, 1995
January 4, 1999
4 years, 2 days
Independent [ 1]
1994
6
Charles Wesley Turnbull (1935–2022)
January 4, 1999
January 1, 2007
7 years, 362 days
Democratic
1998 2002
7
John de Jongh (born 1957)
January 1, 2007
January 5, 2015
8 years, 4 days
Democratic
2006 2010
8
Kenneth Mapp (born 1955)
January 5, 2015
January 7, 2019
4 years, 2 days
Independent
2014
9
Albert Bryan (born 1968)
January 7, 2019
Incumbent
5 years, 362 days
Democratic
2018 2022
Succession
See also
References
External links
Naval (1917–1931) Civil (1931–1969) Elected (since 1969)