| Cyril King | |
|---|---|
| 2nd Governor of the United States Virgin Islands | |
In office January 6, 1975 – January 2, 1978 | |
| Preceded by | Melvin H. Evans |
| Succeeded by | Juan Francisco Luis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cyril Emanuel King April 7, 1921 Frederiksted, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| Died | January 2, 1978 (aged 56) Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| Political party | Democratic (Before 1968) Independent Citizens Movement (1968–1978) |
| Spouse(s) | Agnes Schuster |
| Children | 1 daughter |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch |  United States Army
|
| Unit | 873rd Port Company |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Cyril Emanuel King (April 7, 1921 – January 2, 1978) was an American politician who served as the second elected Governor of the United States Virgin Islands from 1975 until his death in 1978.[1]
He also briefly served as acting governor in 1969, following the resignation of Governor Ralph M. Paiewonsky.
Early life[]
King was born in Frederiksted on the island of Saint Croix, where he lived during his formative years.[1][2] During World War II, he served in the 873rd Port Company in Hawaii.[3]
After the completion of his service, he attended the American University, where he earned a public administration degree.[1]
Political career[]
Starting in 1949, King worked for Minnesota senator Hubert Humphrey, as the first black member of staff of the U.S. Senate.[2] He rose through the ranks of the office, eventually becoming chief of staff.[1] He returned to the islands in 1951 as an appointed government secretary for John F. Kennedy .[1]
To support his election for governor in 1970 and challenge the Democratic Party in the Virgin Islands, he developed the Independent Citizens Movement.[2][4] Even though his 1970 campaign was unsuccessful, he ran again in 1974 and won, becoming the second governor of the Virgin Islands.[1] At the time of his death, he had been planning to run for a second term.[1]
Commemorative Plaque at the Cyril E. King Airport
Legacy[]
A Virgin Islands' statute puts aside April 7, King's birthday, as Cyril Emmanuel King Day.[5]
In 1984, the Harry S. Truman Airport on St. Thomas was renamed Cyril E. King Airport by the Virgin Islands Legislature.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Virgin Islands Loses Its Black Governor to Cancer". Jan 19, 1978. pp. 15. https://books.google.com/books?id=VL8DAAAAMBAJ&dq=Cyril+King+U.S.+Virgin+Islands&pg=PA15.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "First Black Senate Staff Member Dies". Charlotte Observer-Reporter. 1978-01-04. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=M_ddAAAAIBAJ&sjid=j18NAAAAIBAJ&pg=2503,350778&dq=cyril+king+dies&hl=en.
- ↑ Thurland, Anne L. (2017-03-19) (in en). Will Thurland's World War II Photo Collection: The Virgin Islands Orchestra of the 873rd Port Company. AuthorHouse. pp. 14, 39. ISBN 9781468541229. https://books.google.com/books?id=Aca6yDRPMXgC&q=Cyril+King+U.S.+Virgin+Islands.
- ↑ Gunson, Phil; Chamberlain, Greg; Thompson, Andrew (2015-12-22) (in en). The Dictionary of Contemporary Politics of Central America and the Caribbean. Routledge. pp. 161. ISBN 9781317270539. https://books.google.com/books?id=tEJACwAAQBAJ&dq=Cyril+King+U.S.+Virgin+Islands&pg=PT161.
- ↑ Staff (2013-04-04). "Cyril E. King Commemoration Set for Sunday" (in en-US). V.I. Source Archives. http://visourcearchives.com/blog/2013/04/04/cyril-e-king-commemoration-set-sunday/.
External links[]
- Cyril King at Find a Grave
- Profiles of Outstanding Virgin Islanders[dead link]
(includes link to photo)
The original article can be found at Cyril King and the edit history here.