Juan Francisco Luis (July 10, 1940 – June 4, 2011) was a U.S. Virgin Islander politician who served as the third elected
Governor 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 Legislature of the Virgin Islands, Virgi ...
. He is the territory's 23rd governor overall.
Luis assumed the governorship on January 2, 1978, succeeding Governor
Cyril King, who died in office.
He held the governor's office from 1978 until 1987, becoming the longest-serving governor in the history of the
U.S. Virgin Islands.
Biography
Early years
Luis was born in 1940 on the neighboring island of
Vieques
Vieques (; ), officially Isla de Vieques, is an island and municipality of Puerto Rico, in the northeastern Caribbean, part of an island grouping sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands. Vieques is part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, ...
in
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
.
[ He moved with his family to ]Saint Croix
Saint Croix; nl, Sint-Kruis; french: link=no, Sainte-Croix; Danish and no, Sankt Croix, Taino: ''Ay Ay'' ( ) is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincorpo ...
—which has a sizeable Puerto Rican community—in the U.S. Virgin Islands when he was two months old.[ In 1958, Luis graduated from the former Christiansted High School as his class's ]valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution.
The valedictorian is commonly determined by a numerical formula, generally an academic institution's grade point average (GPA ...
.[
Luis studied at the ]Interamerican University of Puerto Rico
The Inter American University of Puerto Rico (Spanish: ''Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico''; often abbreviated to ''UIPR'' or ''Inter'') is a private Christian university with its main campus in San Germán, Puerto Rico. It also has c ...
.[ He moved back to Saint Croix after college, where he took a position as a sixth-grade teacher at the Christiansted Public Grammar School.] He also worked as a project office manager for the Department of Housing and Urban Development[ before serving in the ]U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
.[
Luis was ]honorably discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and th ...
d from the United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
in 1968, holding the rank of sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
.[ He returned to St. Croix after his discharge, where he married his wife, the former Luz Maria Guadalupe.][ He took a series of positions within the ]civil service
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
and private sector
The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government.
Employment
The ...
until his election to office in 1972.[ In 1968, Luis became a personnel administrative officer in the Virgin Islands Department of Health.][ Luis held several positions in the private sector from 1970 to 1972.][ He worked for Litwin Corporation as an industrial relations manager.][ Luis then joined Burns International as an ]accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy.
Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certifi ...
.[ Finally, Luis was employed as a personnel manager and comptroller at the Estate Carlton Hotel.][
Luis and his wife, former U.S. Virgin Islands ]First Lady
First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...
Luz Maria Luis, had two children, Juan Francisco Luis Jr. and Carlota Amalia.[
]
Political career
Luis was elected to the 10th Legislature of the Virgin Islands
The Legislature of the Virgin Islands is the territorial legislature of the United States Virgin Islands. The legislative branch of the unincorporated U.S. territory is unicameral, with a single house consisting of 15 senators, elected to two- ...
, the territory's unicameral
Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one.
Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multic ...
legislative body, in 1972, when he was 32 years old.[ He served one, two-year term as a Senator before seeking higher office in 1974.
]
Lieutenant governor
In 1974, two years after his election to the Legislature, gubernatorial candidate Cyril King persuaded Luis to join his ticket as his running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint Ticket (election), ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate ...
for lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
.[ King had founded the ]Independent Citizens Movement
The Independent Citizens Movement (or Independent Citizens' Movement) is a political party in the U.S. Virgin Islands that was founded by Virdin C. Brown and Steve O'Reilly in 1968. Its symbol is the torch. The party advocates for grassroots p ...
(ICM) in the 1960s, so he and Luis ran for office as the nominees of the ICM.[ King and Luis were elected as governor and lieutenant governor in a gubernatorial ]runoff election
The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resul ...
held in November 1974, defeating the Democratic ticket of Alexander Farrelly and Ruby Rouss.[
]
Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Governor Cyril King died in office of stomach cancer at Knud-Hansen Memorial Hospital at 8:06 p.m. on January 2, 1978.[ Luis, King's lieutenant governor, was sworn into office as the ]Governor of the U.S. 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 t ...
ten minutes after King's death to fill the remainder of his term.[
On February 21, 1978, Governor Luis appointed ]banker
A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...
Henry Millin
Henry A. Millin (March 17, 1923 – February 4, 2004) was an American Virgin Islander banker and politician. Millin served as the fourth Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands (and third elected Lt. Governor) from 1978 until 1983 ...
, a Democrat, as his first lieutenant governor in an announcement broadcast on television and radio. Millin was sworn into office on March 10, 1978, at Government House on Saint Thomas. Millin became Luis' running mate in the 1978 gubernatorial election in November. Luis chose to run for governor as an independent candidate, dropping his previous political affiliation with the ICM in the election.[
Governor Luis and Lt. Governor Millin were elected to a full four-year term on November 7, 1978.] Luis defeated the Democratic ticket of Ron de Lugo
Ronald de Lugo (August 2, 1930 – July 14, 2020) was an American politician. He was the first Delegate (United States Congress), Delegate from the United States Virgin Islands to the United States House of Representatives. Ron de Lugo's parents ...
, the-then Delegate of the U.S. Virgin Islands to the U.S. House of Representatives, and De Lugo's running mate, Senator Eric E. Dawson
Eric E. Dawson (December 26, 1937 – January 2, 2017) was an American politician.
Dawson was born in Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands. He graduated from Charlotte Amalie High School and served in the United States Air Force. He receive ...
, in a tough election campaign.[ Luis won 10,978 votes, or 59.2%, while de Lugo placed second with 7,568 votes, or 40.8% of the total votes cast.][ Luis won all three major islands in the election, including a landslide win on Saint Croix.][
Governor Luis and Lt. Governor Millin were inaugurated into a full, four-year term on Thursday, January 4, 1979, at a ceremony in ]Christiansted
Christiansted is the largest town on Saint Croix, one of the main islands composing the United States Virgin Islands, a territory of the United States of America. The town is named after King Christian VI of Denmark.
History
The town was founded ...
.
In 1982, Luis announced his campaign for re-election to a second full term. However, Lieutenant Governor Henry Millin chose to challenge Luis in the 1982 gubernatorial election.[ Luis needed a new running mate and he selected ]Julio Brady
Julio A. Brady (August 23, 1942 – September 16, 2015) was an American Virgin Islander judge, politician and attorney. Brady served as the Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands from 1983 to 1987 during the second term of former ...
to replace Millin on the ticket.[
Luis was re-elected to a second term on November 2, 1982, in a five-candidate race.] Luis and Brady came in first with 11,354 votes and were declared the winners of the election.[ His closest challenger, Lt. Governor Henry Millin, placed second with 4,143 votes.][ However, the election was challenged in court by fourteen Virgin Islands residents, who argued that blank and spoiled ballots should be counted, which would necessitate a ]runoff election
The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resul ...
.[ By law, a gubernatorial candidate in the U.S. Virgin Islands must garner more than 50% of vote to avoid a runoff.][ Luis would have fallen just short of 50% if blank and spoiled ballots were counted.][ A lower court in the Virgin Islands agreed with those arguing for a runoff and ordered the blank and spoiled ballots to be counted, which brought Luis below 50%.][ However, the ]United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (in case citations, 3d Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts:
* District of Delaware
* District of New Jersey
* Ea ...
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
rejected the lower court ruling and allowed blank and spoiled ballots to be excluded, giving Luis an outright majority of the total votes cast.[ Thus, Luis won re-election to a second term without a runoff.][ Luis and Lt. Governor Julio Brady were sworn into a second term in January 1983.
Governor Luis created a new office, the federal programs coordinator, which worked to better coordinate federal funding and cultivate better relations with U.S. federal agencies, such as the Office of Insular Affairs.][ Luis is credited by many, including current Governor John de Jongh, with the overhaul and creation of the U.S. Virgin Islands' present ]health care system
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, Mental health, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World H ...
during his time in office.[ Luis successfully lobbied for federal funding which was used to construct most of the U.S. Virgin Islands modern hospitals, including the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital & Medical Center on Saint Croix, the Myrah Keating Smith Clinic on Saint John and the Schneider Regional Medical Center on Saint Thomas.][ In education, Luis abolished the practice of holding two separate sessions of school at the same school during the day.][
Luis spearheaded the expansion of the ]Henry E. Rohlsen Airport
Henry E. Rohlsen Airport is a public airport located six miles (10 km) southwest of Christiansted on the island of St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. The airport is named after Henry E. Rohlsen, a St. Croix native who was one ...
on Saint Croix and the Cyril E. King Airport
Cyril E. King Airport is a public airport located two miles (3 km) west of the central business district of Charlotte Amalie on the island of St. Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands. It is currently the busiest airport in the Un ...
on Saint Thomas.[ He also oversaw the construction of other ]infrastructure
Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and priv ...
projects, including the creation of a container terminal
A container port or container terminal is a facility where cargo containers are transshipped between different transport vehicles, for onward transportation. The transshipment may be between container ships and land vehicles, for example train ...
on Saint Croix.[ The first ]desalination
Desalination is a process that takes away mineral components from saline water. More generally, desalination refers to the removal of salts and minerals from a target substance, as in Soil salinity control, soil desalination, which is an issue f ...
plant was constructed by the V.I. Water and Power Authority during Luis' administration.[
Governor Luis was also credited with launching the political careers of some of the U.S. Virgin Islands' most prominent politicians.][ They included former Senator ]Holland Redfield
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, " ...
, whom he appointed to the Public Services Commission and encouraged to run for the Legislature in 1984, and Governor John de Jongh, whom Luis nominated to the V.I. Industrial Development Commission, which launched de Jongh's career in public service.[
Luis was barred from seeking a third consecutive term in the 1986 gubernatorial election due to ]term limits
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...
.[ He was succeeded by Alexander Farrelly on January 5, 1987.
]
Later life
In 1990, Luis once again ran for election as governor. However, he was defeated by then Governor Alexander Farrelly, who won re-election.[
Juan Francisco Luis was hospitalized at the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital & Medical Center on ]St. Croix
Saint Croix; nl, Sint-Kruis; french: link=no, Sainte-Croix; Danish and no, Sankt Croix, Taino: ''Ay Ay'' ( ) is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincor ...
on June 3, 2011.[ He died at the hospital on June 4, 2011, at the age of 70.][ His ]funeral mass
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...
was held at the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Christiansted
Christiansted is the largest town on Saint Croix, one of the main islands composing the United States Virgin Islands, a territory of the United States of America. The town is named after King Christian VI of Denmark.
History
The town was founded ...
.[ Luis was buried at Kingshill Cemetery in Kingshill, U.S. Virgin Islands following a graveside service, which included a full military tribute by the ]Virgin Islands National Guard
The Virgin Islands National Guard (VING) was federally recognized on October 19, 1973 in a ceremony officiated by Major General La Vern E. Weber, Director of the United States Army National Guard. Major Leayle Galiber was appointed acting Adjut ...
.[
Luis was survived by his wife, former First Lady Luz Maria Guadalupe Luis; their children, Carlotta Amalia Luis and Juan Francisco Luis Jr.; his sister, Lydia Cintron-Monell; and two brothers, Carlos Monell and Esteban Monell Jr.][
Luis died less than a week after the passing of another U.S. Virgin Islands political figure, former Lt. Governor Derek Hodge.]
See also
* List of Puerto Ricans
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luis, Juan Francisco
1940 births
2011 deaths
Democratic Party governors of the United States Virgin Islands
Governors of the United States Virgin Islands
Independent Citizens Movement politicians
Interamerican University of Puerto Rico alumni
Lieutenant Governors of the United States Virgin Islands
People from Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
People from Vieques, Puerto Rico
Senators of the Legislature of the United States Virgin Islands
United States Army soldiers
United States Virgin Islands military personnel
United States Virgin Islands people of Puerto Rican descent
Burials in the United States Virgin Islands