List of governors of the United States Virgin Islands facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Governor of Virgin Islands
Seal of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Incumbent Albert Bryan since January 7, 2019
Style	Governor (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Residence	U.S. Virgin Islands Governor's Mansions
Term length	Four-year term, renewable once
Constituting instrument	Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands Elective Governor Acts of 1968
Formation	1917 (as Naval Governor) 1931 (as Civilian Governor) 1970 (as elected Governor)
First holder	Melvin Herbert Evans
Succession	Line of succession
Deputy	Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands
Salary	$150,690

The governor of the United States Virgin Islands is like the chief leader of the United States Virgin Islands. This person is in charge of the government. Their jobs include giving a yearly speech about the territory's progress to the Virgin Islands Legislature. They also present the budget and make sure the laws are followed.

This important role was created in 1970. This happened after a law called the Elective Governor Acts of 1968 was passed. Melvin Herbert Evans was the very first governor chosen by the people.

This article lists the people who have served as governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Before the United States took over, the islands were ruled by Denmark. To learn about those earlier leaders, you can look at the List of governors of the Danish West Indies.

Governors Chosen by Appointment (1917–1970)

Before 1970, the governors of the U.S. Virgin Islands were not elected by the people. Instead, they were chosen and appointed by the President of the United States.

Naval Governors (1917–1931)

For a period, the governors were officers from the U.S. Navy. They were in charge of the islands.

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Time in Office			Appointed by
			Started	Ended	Length of Time
–		Captain Edwin Taylor Pollock (1870–1943) Acting	March 31, 1917	April 20, 1917	20 days	Woodrow Wilson
1		Rear Admiral James Harrison Oliver (1857–1928)	April 20, 1917	April 8, 1919	1 year, 353 days	Woodrow Wilson
2		Rear Admiral Joseph Wallace Oman (1864–1941)	April 8, 1919	April 26, 1921	2 years, 18 days	Woodrow Wilson
3		Rear Admiral Sumner Ely Wetmore Kittelle (1867–1950)	April 26, 1921	September 16, 1922	1 year, 143 days	Warren G. Harding
4		Captain Henry Hughes Hough (1871–1943)	September 16, 1922	December 3, 1923	1 year, 78 days	Warren G. Harding
5		Captain Philip Williams (1869–1942)	December 3, 1923	September 11, 1925	1 year, 282 days	Calvin Coolidge
6		Captain Martin Edward Trench (1869–1927)	September 12, 1925	January 6, 1927 †	1 year, 116 days	Calvin Coolidge
7		Captain Waldo A. Evans (1869–1936)	January 19, 1927	March 18, 1931	4 years, 58 days	Calvin Coolidge

Civilian Governors (1931–1970)

After the naval governors, civilian leaders were appointed. They were still chosen by the U.S. President, not by the people of the Virgin Islands.

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Time in Office			Party		Appointed by
			Started	Ended	Length of Time
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

Governors Chosen by Election (1970–Present)

Since 1970, the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands have been able to vote for their own governor. This was a big change that gave more power to the local residents.

Parties

      Republican (1)       Independent Citizens Movement (1)       Democratic (4)       Independent (3)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Time in Office			Party		Election
			Started	Ended	Length of Time
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	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	6 years, 200 days		Democratic	2018 2022

More Information

• List of Virgin Islands Legislatures