Morris Fidanque de Castro (February 5, 1902 – December 9, 1966) was the first native
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 ...
and a lifetime government servant for the territory.
Early life
De Castro was born in
Panama City
Panama City ( es, Ciudad de Panamá, links=no; ), also known as Panama (or Panamá in Spanish), is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has an urban population of 880,691, with over 1.5 million in its metropolitan area. The city is locat ...
, Panama. Although he was Jewish, de Castro attended Roman Catholic High School of St. Thomas. His father was merchant David de Castro and his mother was Adah Fidanque. Immediately after graduating
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
, de Castro obtained a job working as a clerk in the island's
sanitation
Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation systems ...
office. Over the years, de Castro remained in government and gradually rose through the ranks until he was appointed as the Commissioner of Finance in 1934.
In 1939, de Castro was briefly made acting governor while
Lawrence William Cramer
Lawrence William Cramer (December 26, 1897 – 1978) was the second civilian Governor of the United States Virgin Islands.
Biography
Cramer was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and ...
was attending hearings in Washington, D.C.. This role usually fell to the government secretary, such as
Robert Herrick in 1935, but de Castro given the position instead. During his brief tenure, the United States Virgin Islands was honored by an "unofficial" state visit by
Frederick IX of Denmark
Frederick IX ( da, Christian Frederik Franz Michael Carl Valdemar Georg; 11 March 1899 – 14 January 1972) was List of Danish monarchs, King of Denmark from 1947 to 1972. Born into the House of Glücksburg, Frederick was the elder son of Ch ...
, then still the
Crown Prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...
, and his wife,
Ingrid of Sweden
Ingrid of Sweden (born: Princess Ingrid Victoria Sofia Louise Margareta of Sweden; 28 March 1910 – 7 November 2000) was Queen of Denmark from 1947 until 1972 as the wife of King Frederick IX.
Born into the House of Bernadotte, she was the daug ...
. Over the years, de Castro continued to be a prominent choice whenever an acting governor was necessary.
In 1944, he was promoted from Commissioner of Finance to an assistant to Governor
Charles A. Harwood. In 1945, he was made government secretary and held that position until he was appointed full governor by President
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
on February 28, 1950. (He was inaugurated March 4.) Though he was aware that he was under consideration for the position (he had been again made acting governor in the interim), he did not campaign for it though he indicated that he would take it, if offered. De Castro's appointment was considered by many as a symbol that the United States wanted increased self-government for its territories.
Governor of the United States Virgin Islands
As governor, de Castro worked to increase the self-sufficiency of the islands. Almost immediately after his appointment, he signed a law that stiffened penalties and enforcement for discrimination in the territory, largely in response to a growing problem of private "clubs" and resorts which increasingly catered exclusively to mainland whites, rather than locals. He also campaigned with the federal government to allow the territory to keep the tax revenue collected on the export of
rum
Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Phili ...
. Previously, this had been collected by the federal government to offset the territory's old debts. He also sought to allow the territory to elect its own governor.
However, during his term, de Castro was forced to make concessions which were not universally popular. In 1953, he rescinded his previous remarks that the territory should elect its own governor. Instead, he clarified that it should only elect its own governors when they were self-sufficient, and not sooner. De Castro also worked to revamp the territorial's treasury. Under the old system, taxes collected in Saint Thomas could not be used to help those in Saint Croix, and vice versa. He pushed for a single unified treasury that could benefit all of the islands. This position was unpopular due to the locals not wanting the wealth of Saint Thomas being used to shore up the poorer islands.
De Castro also worked to boost tourism and industries on the island. During his term, he passed an 8-year
property tax
A property tax or millage rate is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or net wealth, taxes on the change of ownership of property through inheri ...
exemption for manufacturers and
hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
owners, to allow industry to grow.
In 1954, de Castro resigned as governor. He was given the
Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...
's Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of his efforts. However, instead of retirement, he returned to work in the financial department of the territory for subsequent governors. At his death in 1966, he was the budget director for Governor
Ralph M. Paiewonsky.
See also
*
References
* Danish Heir at St. Thomas. ''New York Times''. New York, N.Y.: Mar 24, 1939. pg. 23, 1 pgs
* V.I. Governor. ''The Washington Post''. Washington, D.C.: Mar 26, 1950. pg. B4, 1 pgs
* Virgin Islands Head Would Hold Rum Tax. ''New York Times''. New York, N.Y.: Apr 30, 1950. pg. 61, 1 pgs
* Virgin Islands' Anti-Discrimination Act. By Jean Deveaux. ''New York Times''. New York, N.Y.: Oct 8, 1950. pg. X17, 1 pgs
* Virgin Islands Governor Balks Over Self-Rule.
Jules Dubois. ''Chicago Daily Tribune''. Chicago, Ill.: Mar 3, 1952. pg. A7, 1 pgs
* Governor Inaugurated. ''The Washington Post and Times-Herald''. Washington, D.C.: Apr 11, 1954. pg. M22, 1 pgs
* Virgin Islands Gain Over 25% In Revenue. ''Tri-State Defender''. Memphis, Tenn.: Dec 26, 1964. Vol.X, Iss. 7; pg. 13
* Morris De Castro is Dead at 64. ''New York Times''. New York, N.Y.: Dec 10, 1966. pg. 38, 1 pgs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Castro, Morris de
1902 births
1966 deaths
20th-century Sephardi Jews
Governors of the United States Virgin Islands
American Sephardic Jews
Spanish and Portuguese Jews
United States Virgin Islands Jews
Panamanian emigrants to the United States
Panamanian Sephardi Jews