John David Merwin

{{Short description|American politician (1921–2013)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = John Merwin |order = | office = 8th [[List of Governors of the United States Virgin Islands|Civilian Governor of the United States Virgin Islands]] | term_start = September 25, 1958 | term_end = January 1, 1961 | predecessor = [[Walter A. Gordon|Walter Gordon]] | successor = [[Ralph Moses Paiewonsky|Ralph Paiewonsky]] | birth_date = {{birth date|1921|9|26}} | birth_place = [[Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands]], U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2013|3|17|1921|9|26}} | death_place = [[Ohio]], U.S. | party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] | alma_mater = [[University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus|University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras]]<br>[[Yale College|Yale University]] ([[Bachelor of Science|B.S.]])<br>[[George Washington University]] ([[Juris Doctor|J.D.]]) }} '''John David Merwin''' (September 26, 1921{{spaced ndash}}17 March 2013<ref>[http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2013/03/19/john-d-merwin-first-native-born-vi-governor-dies-91 Obituary notice] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104013753/http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2013/03/19/john-d-merwin-first-native-born-vi-governor-dies-91 |date=2016-11-04 }}</ref>) was a politician of the [[United States Virgin Islands]] who served in that territory's [[Legislature of the Virgin Islands|Legislature]], as government secretary (equivalent to [[lieutenant governor]]), and as the first native-born [[Governor of the United States Virgin Islands|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 [[Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands|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 [[Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands|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 City.

==References== *{{cite news|title=Virgin Islands Vote Aid to New Business|work=New York Times|date=Jun 15, 1957|page=24}} *{{cite news|title=Lebanon Envoy Named|work=New York Times|date=Dec 24, 1957|page=7}} *{{cite news|title=J. D. Merwin Is Named For Virgin Islands Post|work=New York Times|date=Aug 6, 1958|page=5}} *{{cite news|title=Merwin Is Sworn it as Virgin Isles' Governor|work=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=Sep 26, 1958|page=5}} *{{cite news|title=New York Office to Open|work=New York Times|date=Jan 22, 1961|page=XX26}} *{{cite book|title=A Life of Friendships|author=John D. Merwin|publisher=Southern Cross Publications|date=2010}}

==External links== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=[[Walter A. Gordon|Walter Gordon]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[List of Governors of the United States Virgin Islands|Governor of the Virgin Islands]]|years=1958–1961}} {{s-aft|after=[[Ralph Moses Paiewonsky|Ralph Paiewonsky]]}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merwin, John David}} [[Category:1921 births]] [[Category:Governors of the United States Virgin Islands]] [[Category:2013 deaths]] [[Category:Republican Party of the Virgin Islands politicians]] [[Category:Senators of the Legislature of the United States Virgin Islands]] [[Category:Yale College alumni]]