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) Portrait Name Term of office Appointed by Took office Left office Time in office – CaptainEdwin Taylor Pollock March 31, 1917 April 20, 1917 Woodrow Wilson 1 Rear AdmiralJames Harrison Oliver April 20, 1917 April 8, 1919 Woodrow Wilson 2 Rear AdmiralJoseph Wallace Oman April 8, 1919 April 26, 1921 Woodrow Wilson 3 Rear AdmiralSumner Ely Wetmore Kittelle April 26, 1921 September 16, 1922 Warren G. Harding 4 CaptainHenry Hughes Hough September 16, 1922 December 3, 1923 Warren G. Harding 5 CaptainPhilip Williams December 3, 1923 September 11, 1925 Calvin Coolidge 6 CaptainMartin Edward Trench September 12, 1925 January 6, 1927 † Calvin Coolidge 7 CaptainWaldo A. Evans January 19, 1927 March 18, 1931 Calvin Coolidge

Civilian governors (1931–1970) Portrait Name Term of office Party Appointed by Took office Left office Time in office 1 Paul Martin Pearson March 18, 1931 July 23, 1935   Republican Herbert Hoover – Robert Herrick July 23, 1935 August 21, 1935   Democratic Franklin D. Roosevelt 2 Lawrence William Cramer August 21, 1935 December 14, 1940   Democratic Franklin D. Roosevelt – Robert Morss Lovett December 14, 1940 February 3, 1941   Democratic Franklin D. Roosevelt 3 Charles Harwood February 3, 1941 May 17, 1946   Democratic Franklin D. Roosevelt 4 William H. Hastie May 17, 1946 October 21, 1949   Democratic Harry S. Truman – Morris Fidanque de Castro October 21, 1949 March 4, 1950   Democratic Harry S. Truman 5 March 4, 1950 April 9, 1954 6 Archie Alexander April 9, 1954 August 18, 1955   Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower – Charles Kenneth Claunch August 18, 1955 October 17, 1955   Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower 7 Walter A. Gordon October 17, 1955 September 25, 1958   Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower 8 John David Merwin September 25, 1958 April 5, 1961   Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower 9 Ralph Moses Paiewonsky April 5, 1961 February 12, 1969   Democratic John F. Kennedy – Cyril King February 12, 1969 July 1, 1969   Independent Citizens Movement Richard Nixon 10 Melvin H. Evans July 1, 1969 November 1, 1970   Republican Richard Nixon

Elected governors (1970–present) Parties

Portrait Name Term of office Party Election Took office Left office Time in office 1 Melvin H. Evans Republican 1970 2 Cyril King Independent Citizens Movement 1974 3 Juan Francisco Luis Independent Citizens Movement 19781982 Independent 4 Alexander Farrelly Democratic 19861990 5 Roy Schneider Independent 1994 6 Charles Wesley Turnbull Democratic 19982002 7 John de Jongh Democratic 20062010 8 Kenneth Mapp Independent 2014 9 Albert Bryan Incumbent Democratic 20182022

Succession

See also List of Virgin Islands Legislatures

References

External links Office of the Governor National Governors Association: Former Virgin Islands Governors