{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Alexander Farrelly |order = 4th [[Governor of the United States Virgin Islands]] |lieutenant = [[Derek Hodge]] |term_start = January 5, 1987 |term_end = January 2, 1995 |predecessor = [[Juan Francisco Luis]] |successor = [[Roy Schneider]] |birth_name = Alexander Anthony Farrelly |birth_date = December 29, 1923 |birth_place = [[Frederiksted, U.S. Virgin Islands|Frederiksted]], [[United States Virgin Islands|U.S. Virgin Islands]] |death_date = September 10, 2002 |death_place = [[Arlington County, Virginia]], U.S. |party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] |spouse = Catherine <br/> Joan |education = [[St. John's University (New York City)|St. John's University, New York]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]], [[Bachelor of Laws|LLB]])<br>[[Yale University]] ([[Master of Laws|LLM]]) }} '''Alexander Anthony Farrelly''' (December 29, 1923 &ndash; September 10, 2002) was an American politician who served as the 4th [[governor of the United States Virgin Islands]] from 1987 to 1995, as a member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. Prior to his tenure as governor he was a municipal judge and a member of the [[Legislature of the Virgin Islands]].

==Early life and education== Alexander Anthony Farrelly was born in [[Frederiksted, U.S. Virgin Islands]], on December 29, 1923. He graduated from St. Patrick's Parochial School in 1940. He served in the [[United States Army]] before receiving a honorable discharge. He graduated from [[St. John's University (New York City)|St. John's University, New York]] with a [[Bachelor of Laws]] degree and from [[Yale University]] with a [[Master of Laws]] degree.{{sfn|St. Thomas Source|2002}} He was elected president of the [[Pi Sigma Alpha]] at St. John's University in 1950.{{sfn|Johnson|1950}}

==Career== In 1955, Farrelly started practicing law in New York. He became a Caribbean specialist for the [[United Nations]]. Farrelly returned to the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1962, and became an assistant U.S. attorney. Governor [[Ralph Moses Paiewonsky]] appointed him as judge of the Municipal Court of the Virgin Islands in 1965.{{sfn|St. Thomas Source|2002}}

Running as a candidate for the [[Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands|Unity Democrats]] in the 1966 election, Farrelly won a seat in the [[Legislature of the Virgin Islands]] as an at-large candidate. His vote total of 7,324 was the highest ever received by a candidate at that point. He was reelected to represent the St. Thomas-St. John district.{{sfn|St. Thomas Source|2002}}

The Third Constitutional Convention was held in 1977, and Farrelly was made president. He was general counsel for the Fourth Constitutional Convention held in 1980.{{sfn|St. Thomas Source|2002}}

From 1976 to 1998, he represented the U.S. Virgin Islands in the [[Democratic National Committee]].{{sfn|St. Thomas Source|2002}}

===Governor=== In the [[1970 United States Virgin Islands general election|1970 gubernatorial election]] Farrelly was the Democratic nominee, but lost to Republican nominee [[Melvin H. Evans]].{{sfn|St. Thomas Source|2002}}

From 1987 to 1995, Farrelly served as [[governor of the United States Virgin Islands]]. Farrelly was the first member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] elected as governor and was the second governor to be elected to a second term.{{sfn|St. Thomas Source|2002}}

Raphael Joseph, who received multiple life sentences for his involvement in the [[Fountain Valley massacre]], was pardoned by Farrelly.{{sfn|St. Thomas Source|2002}}

==Personal life== Farrelly married Catherine, who died in 1982, and later married Joan. He died in [[Arlington County, Virginia]], on September 10, 2002.{{sfn|St. Thomas Source|2002}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Works cited== {{refbegin|30em}}

* {{Cite news |date=September 11, 2002 |title=Former Governor Farrelly Is Dead At 78 |work=St. Thomas Source |url=https://stthomassource.com/content/2002/09/11/former-governor-farrelly-dead-78-1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260525000140/https://stthomassource.com/content/2002/09/11/former-governor-farrelly-dead-78-1/ |archive-date=May 25, 2026 |ref={{harvid|St. Thomas Source|2002}}}} * {{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Cecil |date=May 22, 1950 |title=Around the Borough |page=10 |work=[[Brooklyn Eagle]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/brooklyn-eagle/198207736/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}

{{refend}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080406161222/http://www.alexanderfarrelly.com/ Alexander Farrelly.com, a tribute site]

{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-new|first}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[List of Governors of the United States Virgin Islands|Governor of the United States Virgin Islands]]|years=1970, 1974}} {{s-aft|after=[[Ron de Lugo]]}} |- {{s-bef|before=[[Henry Millin]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[List of Governors of the United States Virgin Islands|Governor of the United States Virgin Islands]]|years=1986, 1990}} {{s-aft|after=[[Derek Hodge]]}} |- {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=[[Juan Francisco Luis]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[List of Governors of the United States Virgin Islands|Governor of the United States Virgin Islands]]|years=1987–1995}} {{S-aft|after=[[Roy Schneider]]}} {{s-end}}

{{Governors of the U.S. Virgin Islands}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farrelly, Alexander A.}} [[Category:1923 births]] [[Category:2002 deaths]] [[Category:Democratic Party governors of the United States Virgin Islands]] [[Category:Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands politicians]] [[Category:Governors of the United States Virgin Islands]] [[Category:Yale Law School alumni]]