Flag of the United States Virgin Islands

This is a list of prominent people who were born in, lived in, or are otherwise closely associated with the

United States Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...

(which are composed of the islands of

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 ...

, St. John, and St. Thomas). This list does not include people from the

British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Brit ...

. The list covers notable individuals who have garnered international recognition in artistic, cultural, economic, historical, notorious, and political arenas.

Actors

Lisa Canning Lisa Canning (born November 7, 1966) is a Virgin Islander American television and radio hostess and correspondent. Career Her credits include '' Entertainment Tonight'' from 1996 to 1999,Lavin, Cheryl (9 March 1997)Fast Track - Lisa Canning ''C ...

(born 1966), television actress *

Kelsey Grammer Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained notoriety and acclaim for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom '' Cheers'' (1984-1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993-2004), ...

(born 1955), actor *

Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (born September 4, 1953) is an American actor and singer. Best known for playing Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington in ''Welcome Back Kotter'' (1975–79), he has also appeared in a number of films and television shows, in ...

(born 1953), actor *

Jasmin St. Claire Jasmin St. Claire (born October 23, 1972) is an American former pornographic actress. She is also known for her work as a professional wrestling personality, most notably for ECW. She has made appearances in the world of professional wrestling a ...

(born 1970), adult film actress

Artists

Fraser Kershaw Fraser Hart Kershaw Jr. is an American activist from the Virgin Islands in the clean water movement throughout the United States and Latin America. He made his television debut acting as multiple characters in the 2016 televised international ...

, philanthropist, film artist *

Fritz Melbye Fritz Sigfred Georg Melbye (24 August 1826 – 14 December 1869) was a Danish marine painter, the brother of Anton Melbye and Vilhelm Melbye who were also marine painters. He traveled widely, painting seascapes, coastal and harbour scenes as wel ...

(1826–1869),

marine painter Marine art or maritime art is a form of figurative art (that is, painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture) that portrays or draws its main inspiration from the sea. Maritime painting is a genre that depicts ships and the sea—a genre part ...

; born in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

, lived and painted in the Danish West Indies *

Camille Pissarro Jacob Abraham Camille Pissarro ( , ; 10 July 1830 – 13 November 1903) was a Danish-French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painter born on the island of Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, St Thomas (now in the US Virgin Islands, but t ...

(1830–1903), artist, French Impressionist painter

Athletes

* Raja Bell (born 1976), former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player *

Tombi Bell Tombi Bates ( née Bell; born April 19, 1979), is an U.S. Virgin Islands former professional basketball player. Basketball career High school Bates played for Miami Norland Senior High School, and during her tenure there, was one of the top play ...

(born 1979), former professional basketball player (sister to Raja Bell) *

Livingstone Bramble Ras-I Alujah Bramble (born Livingstone Bramble on September 3, 1960) is the former WBA Lightweight boxing Champion of the World. Bramble was raised on Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. He became the first world champion from Saint Kitts and Nev ...

(born 1960 on St. Kitts & Nevis; raised on St. Croix), former professional boxing champion * Jerry Browne (born 1966), professional baseball player *

Joe Christopher Joseph O'Neal Christopher (born December 13, 1935) is a former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from through . Listed at 5' 10", 175 lbs., he batted and threw right-handed. Christopher reached the big ...

(born 1935), first

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

player born in the territory to play in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

Horace Clarke Horace Meredith Clarke (June 2, 1939August 5, 2020) was an American Virgin Islander baseball second baseman who played ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres from 1965 to 1974. ...

(born 1940), professional baseball player *

Callix Crabbe Callix Sadeaq Crabbe (born February 14, 1983) is a Virgin Islands American former professional baseball second baseman and current coach in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres. ...

(born 1983), Major League Baseball Player (San Diego Padres) *

Midre Cummings Midre Almeric Cummings (born October 14, 1971) is an American former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates (-), Philadelphia Phillies (1997), Boston Red Sox ( and ), Minnesota Tw ...

(born 1971), professional baseball player *

Tim Duncan Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Big Fundamental", he is widely regarded as the greatest power forward of all time and one of the greatest players in NBA histor ...

(born 1976), former professional basketball player for the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...

Brasheedah Elohim Brasheedah Elohim ( he, בראשידה אלוהים; born November 1, 1980) is an American-Israeli basketball player and tennis player. During her professional women's basketball career in Israel, she played for Ramat HaSharon, Ashdod, Ramla, and ...

, American-Israeli women's professional basketball player *

Emile Griffith Emile Alphonse Griffith (February 3, 1938 – July 23, 2013) was a professional boxer from the U.S. Virgin Islands who won world titles in three weight divisions. He held the world light middleweight, undisputed welterweight, and middleweight t ...

(1938–2013), professional boxing champion *

Elrod Hendricks Elrod Jerome "Ellie" Hendricks (December 22, 1940 – December 21, 2005) was a U.S. Virgin Islander professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from through , most notably as a member of the Baltimore ...

(1940–2005), professional baseball player and

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

Peter Holmberg Peter William Holmberg (born October 4, 1960) is a sailor from the U.S. Virgin Islands, who won a silver medal in Men's Finn class in the 1988 Summer Olympics, making him the only Virgin Islander medalist so far. He was born on Saint T ...

(born 1960), Olympic sailor; as of 2016, the only member of the USVI Olympic Team to win an Olympic medal *

John Jackson John or Johnny Jackson may refer to: Entertainment Art * John Baptist Jackson (1701–1780), British artist * John Jackson (painter) (1778–1831), British painter * John Jackson (engraver) (1801–1848), English wood engraver * John Richardson ...

(born 1989), professional boxer (son of Julian Jackson; brother to Julius Jackson) * Julian Jackson (born 1960), former professional boxing champion *

Julius Jackson Julius Jackson (born August 1, 1987) is a professional boxer from the Virgin Islands who qualified for the 2008 Olympics at light-heavyweight, as did his brother John Jackson. Their father is boxer Julian Jackson. Amateur career At the 2007 Wor ...

(born 1987), professional boxer (son of Julian Jackson) *

Milt Newton Milton M. Newton (born August 25, 1965) is an American professional basketball executive and former player. He is the assistant general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Newton, a 6'5" small forward, wa ...

, former professional basketball player; administrator for multiple NBA teams * Calvin Pickering (born 1976), professional baseball player * "Sugar" Ray Seales (born 1952 in Saint Croix), the only American boxer to win gold in the 1972 Summer Olympics * LaVerne Jones-Ferrette, professional sprinter and Olympian

Entrepreneurs

Sosthenes Behn Sosthenes Behn (January 30, 1884 – June 6, 1957) was an American businessman, and the founder of ITT. He held the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. Biography Early years Sosthenes Behn was born in the island of St. Thomas, then pa ...

(1882–1957), founder of the

Puerto Rico Telephone Company Claro Puerto Rico is one of the largest telecommunications services company in Puerto Rico. It is headquartered in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and has operated for almost a century offering voice, data, long distance, broadband, directory publishing ...

and

ITT Corporation ITT Inc., formerly ITT Corporation, is an American worldwide manufacturing company based in Stamford, Connecticut. The company produces specialty components for the aerospace, transportation, energy and industrial markets. ITT's three businesses ...

William Leidesdorff William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. (October 23, 1810 – May 18, 1848) was one of the earliest biracial-black U.S. citizens in California and one of the founders of the city that became San Francisco. A highly successful, enterprising businessman ...

, (1810–1848), entrepreneur *

Bartholomew Sharp Bartholomew Sharp (c. 1650 – 29 October 1702) was an English buccaneer and privateer. His career of piracy lasted seven years (1675–1682). In the Caribbean he took several ships, and raided the Gulf of Honduras and Portobelo. He took command ...

, (c1650–1702), buccaneer

Historians

Arturo Alfonso Schomburg Arturo Alfonso Schomburg (January 24, 1874 – June 10, 1938), was a historian, writer, collector, and activist. Schomburg was a Puerto Rican of African and German descent. He moved to the United States in 1891, where he researched and raised awa ...

(1874–1938), historian, writer, activist, namesake of the

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is a research library of the New York Public Library (NYPL) and an archive repository for information on people of African descent worldwide. Located at 515 Malcolm X Boulevard (Lenox Avenue) b ...

; born 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 ...

to a mother from St. Croix, attended school on St. Thomas

Models

* Hannah Jeter (born 1990), ''

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue The ''Sports Illustrated'' Swimsuit Issue is published annually by American magazine ''Sports Illustrated'' and features female fashion models, celebrities and athletes wearing swimwear in various locales around the world. The highly coveted cov ...

'' model; born and raised on St. Thomas

Musicians

Alton Adams Alton Augustus Adams, Sr. (November 4, 1889 – November 23, 1987) is remembered primarily as the first black (people), black military band, bandmaster in the United States Navy (beginning 1917). His music was performed by the bands of John Philip ...

(1889–1987), musician, first black bandmaster in the United States Navy *

Bennie Benjamin Claude August "Bennie" Benjamin (November 4, 1907 – May 2, 1989) was a Virgin Islands-born American songwriter. He had particularly successful songwriting partnerships with Sol Marcus, with whom he wrote "I Don't Want To Set The World On F ...

(1907–1989), composer * Delyno Brown, reggae artist *

Vanessa Daou Vanessa Daou (born October 4, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, visual artist and dancer. Most notably a musician, her work is known among nu jazz, trip hop and electronic music circles for her trademark spoken word and aspirated sin ...

, international singer-songwriter, dancer, writer, poet *

Jon Lucien Lucien Leopold Harrigan (January 8, 1942 – August 18, 2007), known professionally as Jon Lucien, was a singer from Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. His parents were Eric "Rico" Lucien Harrigan and Eloise Turnbull Harrigan of Tortolan famil ...

(1942–2007), vocalist and musician; born on the island of

Tortola Tortola () is the largest and most populated island of the British Virgin Islands, a group of islands that form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands. It has a surface area of with a total population of 23,908, with 9,400 residents in ...

and raised on Saint Thomas * Rock City, musical duo also known as R. City and Planet VI; formed 2003 in

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Saint Thomas ( da, Sankt Thomas) is one of the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea which, together with Saint John, Water Island, Hassel Island, and Saint Croix, form a county-equivalent and constituent district of the United States Virgi ...

Theron Thomas R. City (short for Rock City; and formerly Planet VI) is a Virgin Islands musical duo formed in 2003, from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The duo is composed of brothers Theron "Uptown AP" Thomas and Timothy "A.I." Thomas. Primarily known ...

, member of musical duo Rock City

Nurses

* Ianthe Blyden (1899–1984), pioneer of nursing at Knud Hansen Memorial Hospital on St. Thomas * Myrah Keating Smith (1908–1994), the only health provider on St. John for two decades

Pharmacist

Albert Heinrich Riise Albert Heinrich Riise (11 September 1810 – 18 October 1882), often referred to as A. H. Riise, was a Danish pharmacist, merchant and manufacturer of rum on Saint Thomas in the Danish West Indies. A brand of rum is still named A.H. Riise after ...

(1810 – 1882), often referred to as A. H. Riise, was a Danish

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...

and Rum

manufacturer Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a ran ...

from St. Thomas in the

Danish West Indies The Danish West Indies ( da, Dansk Vestindien) or Danish Antilles or Danish Virgin Islands were a Danish colonization of the Americas, Danish colony in the Caribbean, consisting of the islands of Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas ...

Political leaders

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...

(1755–1804), first

United States Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

, an American "founding father", economist, and political philosopher; born in

Nevis Nevis is a small island in the Caribbean Sea that forms part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies. Nevis and the neighbouring island of Saint Kitts constitute one country: the Federation of Saint Kitts and Ne ...

, raised on St. Croix *

Archie Alexander Archibald Alphonso Alexander (May 14, 1888January 4, 1958) was an American architect and engineer. He was an early African-American graduate of the University of Iowa and the first to graduate from the University of Iowa's College of Engineering. ...

(1888–1958), mathematician, engineer, former Governor of the Virgin Islands *

Judah P. Benjamin Judah Philip Benjamin, QC (August 6, 1811 – May 6, 1884) was a United States senator from Louisiana, a Cabinet officer of the Confederate States and, after his escape to the United Kingdom at the end of the American Civil War, an English ba ...

(1811–1884), first Jewish U.S. Senator; Secretary of State, Confederate States of America *

Edward Wilmot Blyden Edward Wilmot Blyden (3 August 1832 – 7 February 1912) was a Liberian educator, writer, diplomat, and politician who was primarily active in West Africa. Born in the Danish West Indies, he joined the waves of black immigrants from the ...

(1832–1912), Liberian educator, writer, diplomat, and politician *

Frank Rudolph Crosswaith Frank Rudolph Crosswaith (1892–1965) was a longtime socialist politician and activist and trade union organizer in New York City who founded and chaired the Negro Labor Committee, established on July 20, 1935 by the Negro Labor Conference. ...

(1892–1965), socialist and labor leader *

Gabriel Milan Gabriel Milan ( – 26 March 1689) was a German-born colonial administrator and planter who served as governor of the Danish West Indies from 7 May 1684 to 27 February 1686. Though he mainly went by the name of 'Gabriel Milan', he identified ...

governor from 7 May 1684 to 27 February 1686 *

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 ...

, St. Croix politician and former candidate for governor *

Hubert Henry Harrison Hubert Henry Harrison (April 27, 1883 – December 17, 1927) was a West Indian-American writer, orator, educator, critic, race and class conscious political activist, and radical internationalist based in Harlem, New York. He was described by a ...

(1883–1927), orator, political activist *

William H. Hastie William Henry Hastie Jr. (November 17, 1904 – April 14, 1976) was an American lawyer, judge, educator, public official, and civil rights advocate. He was the first African American to serve as Governor of the United States Virgin Islands, as a ...

(1904–1976), jurist, lawyer, Governor of the Virgin Islands *

Ulises Heureaux Ulises Hilarión Heureaux Leibert (; October 21, 1845 – July 26, 1899) nicknamed Lilís, was president of the Dominican Republic from September 1, 1882 to September 1, 1884, from January 6, 1887 to February 27, 1889 and again from April 30, 18 ...

(1845–1899), former President of the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

(mother born in Saint Thomas)''Hijos de Inmigrantes en República Dominicana''
from ''ariskelvyn.com'' * Casper Holstein (1888–1944), humanitarian *

Roy Innis Roy Emile Alfredo Innis (June 6, 1934 – January 8, 2017) was an American activist and politician. He was National Chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) from 1968 until his death. One of his sons, Niger Roy Innis, serves as Nation ...

(born 1934), African-American activist, civil rights leader * D. Hamilton Jackson (1884–1946), journalist, labor leader, attorney, judge * J. Raymond Jones (1899–1991), political leader, humanitarian *

(1810–1848), entrepreneur *

Juan Francisco Luis 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. He is the territory's 23rd governor overall. Luis assumed the governorship on ...

(1940–2011), 24th Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands *

Antonio López de Santa Anna Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (; 21 February 1794 – 21 June 1876),Callcott, Wilfred H., "Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez De,''Handbook of Texas Online'' Retrieved 18 April 2017. usually known as Santa Ann ...

(1794–1876), President of Mexico *

Terence Todman Terence Alphonso Todman (March 13, 1926 – August 13, 2014) was an American diplomat who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Chad, Guinea, Costa Rica, Spain, Denmark, and Argentina. In 1990, he was awarded the rank of Career Ambassador. Life Todma ...

(1926–2014), former U.S. ambassador *

Denmark Vesey Denmark Vesey (also Telemaque) ( July 2, 1822) was an early 19th century free Black and community leader in Charleston, South Carolina, who was accused and convicted of planning a major slave revolt in 1822. Although the alleged plot was di ...

(1767–1822), slave revolt leader * Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten (1784–1854), Governor-General of the

from 1827 to 1848

Writers

Barbara Christian Barbara T. Christian (December 12, 1943 – June 25, 2000) was an American author and professor of African-American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Among several books, and over 100 published articles, Christian was most wel ...

(1943–2000), educator and writer * Doris Jadan (1925–2004), author and environmental activist; lived on St. John from 1955 until her death *

Audre Lorde Audre Lorde (; born Audrey Geraldine Lorde; February 18, 1934 – November 17, 1992) was an American writer, womanist, radical feminist, professor, and civil rights activist. She was a self-described "black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet," who ...

(1934–1992), writer, feminist, civil rights activist; born in New York, died on St. Croix * Karrine Steffans (born 1978), author *

Tiphanie Yanique Tiphanie Yanique (born September 20, 1978) from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, is a Caribbean American fiction writer, poet and essayist who lives in New York. In 2010 the National Book Foundation named her a "5 Under 35" honoree. She also t ...

(born 1978), author; born and raised on St. Thomas

References

External links

University of the Virgin Islands: Profiles of outstanding Virgin Islanders (1972)

{{Lists of people by U.S. state Virgin Islanders

People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...