Role Politician | Name John Merwin Political party Republican | |
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Born September 26, 1921St. Croix, Virgin Islands, U.S. ( 1921-09-26 ) Alma mater University of Puerto Rico, Rio PiedrasYale University Books A Life of Friendships: The Memoirs of John David Merwin, Governor (1958-1961) of the United States Virgin Islands Education University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, Yale College, Yale University | ||
Succeeded by Ralph Moses Paiewonsky | ||
John David Merwin (born September 26, 1921 – 17 March 2013) was a former politician of the United States Virgin Islands who served in that territory's Legislature, as Government Secretary (equivalent to Lieutenant Governor), and as the first native born Governor. He was perhaps the first "politician" to be made Governor as previous appointees were primarily men of the military, industry, or non-elected government servants.
Merwin was born in St. Croix. In the 1950s, he became a member of the Legislature, during which time he voted for a 10-year exemption on all taxes for businesses with $10,000 of capitalization ($100,000 for hotels and housing industries) and a 75% reduction in income taxes for those industries. He was an avid campaigner for a USVI representative in the United States Congress.
On December 23, 1957, he was made Government Secretary. The following year, President Dwight D. Eisenhower nominated him for Governor on August 4, Congress approved and he was sworn in on September 25.
As Governor, he worked to build a second airport on St. Thomas, but that plan was scrapped by his successor. He also worked to boost tourism by attending tourism conventions and even opened a Department of Tourism office in New York, New York.