Juan Francisco Luis

{{Short description|3rd Governor of the United States Virgin Islands}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Juan Francisco Luis |image = File:Juan Luis Governor.jpg |order = 3rd Governor of the United States Virgin Islands |lieutenant = Henry Millin<br>Julio Brady |term_start = January 2, 1978 |term_end = January 5, 1987 |predecessor = Cyril King |successor = Alexander Farrelly |office1 = 3rd Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands |governor1 = Cyril King |term_start1 = January 6, 1975 |term_end1 = January 2, 1978 |predecessor1 = Athniel C. Ottley |successor1 = Henry Millin |birth_date = {{birth date|1940|7|10}} |birth_place = Vieques, Puerto Rico |death_date = {{death date and age|2011|6|4|1940|7|10}} |death_place = Saint Croix, United States Virgin Islands |party = Democratic (before 1974)<br>Independent Citizens Movement (1974–1978)<br>Independent (1978–2011) |spouse = Luz Guadalupe |children = 2 |education = Interamerican University of Puerto Rico (BS) |allegiance = {{flag|United States}} |branch = {{army|United States}} |rank = 15px Sergeant }} '''Juan Francisco Luis''' (July 10, 1940 – June 4, 2011) was a Puerto Rican-U.S. Virgin Islander politician who served as the third governor of the United States Virgin Islands, and the territory's 23rd governor overall.<ref name=scroix>{{cite news|first=John|last=Bauer|title=Former Gov. Juan F. Luis Dies at 70|url=http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2011/06/05/former-gov-juan-f-luis-dies-70|work=St. Croix Source|date=2011-06-05|accessdate=2011-07-20|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318132848/http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2011/06/05/former-gov-juan-f-luis-dies-70|archive-date=2012-03-18}}</ref> As lieutenant governor, Luis assumed the governorship on January 2, 1978, succeeding Governor Cyril King, who died in office.<ref name=cor>{{cite news|title=First Black Senate Staff Member Dies |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=M_ddAAAAIBAJ&sjid=j18NAAAAIBAJ&pg=2503,350778&dq=cyril+king+dies&hl=en |work=Associated Press |publisher=Charlotte Observer-Reporter|date=1978-01-04|accessdate=2011-07-24}}</ref> He served as governor from 1978 until 1987, becoming the longest-serving governor in the history of the U.S. Virgin Islands.<ref name=sthomas>{{cite news|first=Bill|last=Kossler|title=Former Gov. Luis Laid to Rest on St. Croix|url=http://stthomassource.com/content/news/local-news/2011/06/16/former-gov-luis-laid-rest-st-croix|work=St. Thomas Source|date=2011-06-15|accessdate=2011-07-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111215208/http://stthomassource.com/content/news/local-news/2011/06/16/former-gov-luis-laid-rest-st-croix|archive-date=2012-01-11|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=vidn>{{cite news|first=Aldeth|last=Lewin|title=Gov. Juan Luis dies at 70|url=http://virginislandsdailynews.com/news/gov-juan-luis-dies-at-70-1.1157759#axzz1T2knWZ7L|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313122434/http://virginislandsdailynews.com/news/gov-juan-luis-dies-at-70-1.1157759#axzz1T2knWZ7L|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-03-13|work=Virgin Islands Daily News|date=2011-06-05|accessdate=2011-07-24}}</ref>

==Biography==

===Early years=== Juan Francisco Luis was born July 10, 1940 on the neighboring island of Vieques in Puerto Rico.<ref name=scroix/> He moved with his family to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands—which has a sizeable Puerto Rican community—when he was two months old.<ref name=scroix/> In 1958, Luis graduated from the former Christiansted High School as his class's valedictorian.<ref name=sthomas/><ref name=vidn/>

He studied at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico,<ref name=sthomas/><ref name=vidn/> and after college moved back to St. Croix, where he took a position as a sixth-grade teacher at the Christiansted Public Grammar School.<ref name=nga>{{cite news|title=Virgin Islands Governor Juan Francisco Luis |url=http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_virgin_islands/col2-content/main-content-list/juan-francisco-luis.html|work=National Governors Association |accessdate=2011-07-25}}</ref> He also worked as a project office manager for the Department of Housing and Urban Development<ref name=sthomas/> before serving in the United States Army.<ref name=sthomas/>

Luis was honorably discharged from the Army in 1968 with the rank of sergeant.<ref name=sthomas/><ref name=vidn/> He returned to St. Croix after his discharge, where he married his wife, the former Luz Maria Guadalupe.<ref name=sthomas/> In 1968, he became a personnel administrative officer in the Virgin Islands Department of Health.<ref name=nga/> Luis held several positions in the private sector from 1970 to 1972:<ref name=nga/> he worked for Litwin Corporation as an industrial relations manager,<ref name=nga/> for Burns International as an accountant,<ref name=nga/> and as a personnel manager and comptroller at the Estate Carlton Hotel.<ref name=nga/>

==Political career== Luis was elected to the 10th Legislature of the Virgin Islands, the territory's unicameral legislative body, in 1972, when he was 32 years old.<ref name=scroix/><ref name=vidn/> He served a single two-year term as a Senator before seeking higher office in 1974.

===Lieutenant governor=== In 1974, gubernatorial candidate Cyril King, who had founded the Independent Citizens Movement (ICM) in the 1960s, persuaded Luis to join his ticket as his running mate for lieutenant governor.<ref name=scroix/> King and Luis were elected as governor and lieutenant governor, defeating the Democratic ticket of Alexander Farrelly and Ruby Rouss.<ref name=scroix/><ref name=vidn/>

===Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands=== Governor King died of stomach cancer on January 2, 1978.<ref name=scroix/> As lieutenant governor, Luis was sworn into office ten minutes after King's death to fill the remainder of his term.<ref name=cor/>

On February 21, 1978, Governor Luis appointed banker Henry Millin, a Democrat, as his first lieutenant governor.<ref name=vidn3>{{cite news|first=Penny|last=Feuerzeig |title=Henry Millin is Luis' Choice for Lt. Governor |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PA1OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0a0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5304,2387272&dq=henry+millin+luis&hl=en |work=Virgin Islands Daily News |date=1978-02-22|accessdate=2011-07-25}}</ref> Millin was sworn in on March 10, 1978.<ref name=vidn2>{{cite news|title= Islands Get a New Lieutenant Governor |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ijZkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LUcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4362,1577516&dq=julio+brady+virgin+governor&hl=en|work=Virgin Islands Daily News |date=1978-03-13 |accessdate=2011-07-24}}</ref> Later in 1978, Luis chose to run for a full term as governor as an independent, dropping his previous political affiliation with the ICM; Millin was his running mate.<ref name=vidn/>

Luis and Millin were elected to a four-year term on November 7, 1978.<ref name=vidn5>{{cite news|first=Penny|last=Feuerzeig |title=Luis-Millin, Evans Beats Watlington |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-jZOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oUYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4692,1279408&dq=ron+delugo+dawson&hl=en |work=Virgin Islands Daily News |date=1978-11-08|accessdate=2011-07-26}}</ref> They defeated the Democratic ticket of Ron de Lugo, the-then Delegate of the U.S. Virgin Islands to the U.S. House of Representatives, and Senator Eric E. Dawson, in a tough election campaign.<ref name=scroix/><ref name=vidn/> Luis and Millin won 10,978 votes (59.2%) to 7,568 votes (40.8%) for de Lugo and Dawson.<ref name=vidn5/> The Luis-Millin ticket won all three major islands in the election, including a landslide win on St. Croix.<ref name=vidn5/> Luis and Millin were inaugurated January 4, 1979, at a ceremony in Christiansted.<ref name=vidn4>{{cite news|first=Mildred|last=Wallace|title=Special Thanks Given to St. Croix by Luis, Millin |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lu1LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6q0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5012,308772&dq=henry+millin+luis&hl=en |work=Virgin Islands Daily News |date=1979-01-05|accessdate=2011-07-25}}</ref>

In 1982, Luis announced that he would seek re-election to a second full term. However, Millin chose to challenge Luis in the election.<ref name=vidn/> Luis needed a new running mate and he selected Julio Brady to replace Millin on the ticket.<ref name=vidn/>

Luis was re-elected on November 2, 1982, in a five-candidate race.<ref name=scroix/><ref name=sjnp>{{cite news|title=Virgin Islands Runoff Not Needed |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qs1bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pFINAAAAIBAJ&pg=5447,4156912&dq=julio+brady+virgin+islands&hl=en |work=Associated Press |publisher= St. Joseph News-Press|date=1982-11-25|accessdate=2011-07-25}}</ref> Luis and Brady finished first with 11,354 votes and were declared the winners.<ref name=sjnp/> Millin's ticket placed second with 4,143 votes.<ref name=sjnp/> However, the election was challenged in court by fourteen Virgin Islands residents, who argued that blank and spoiled ballots should be counted.<ref name=sjnp/> By law, a gubernatorial candidate in the U.S. Virgin Islands must garner more than 50% of vote to avoid a runoff;<ref name=sjnp/> Luis would have fallen just short of 50% if blank and spoiled ballots were counted.<ref name=sjnp/> 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%.<ref name=sjnp/> However, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia rejected the lower court ruling and allowed blank and spoiled ballots to be excluded, giving Luis a majority of the total votes cast.<ref name=sjnp/> Luis and Lt. Governor Julio Brady were sworn in January 3, 1983.

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.<ref name=vidn/> He is credited by many with the overhaul and creation of the U.S. Virgin Islands' present health care system during his time in office.<ref name=sthomas/> Luis successfully lobbied for federal funding that was used to construct most of the U.S. Virgin Islands' modern hospitals, including the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital & Medical Center on St. Croix, the Myrah Keating Smith Clinic on St. John and the Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas.<ref name=sthomas/> In education, Luis abolished the practice of holding two separate sessions of school at the same school during the day.<ref name=sthomas/>

He spearheaded the expansion of the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix and the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas.<ref name=vidn/> He also oversaw the construction of other infrastructure projects, including the creation of a container terminal on St. Croix.<ref name=vidn/> The first desalination plant was constructed by the V.I. Water and Power Authority during Luis' administration.<ref name=vidn/>

Luis was also credited with launching the political careers of some of the U.S. Virgin Islands' most prominent politicians.<ref name=vidn/> They included former Senator Holland Redfield, whom he appointed to the Public Services Commission and encouraged to run for the Legislature in 1984, and Governor John de Jongh Jr., whom Luis nominated to the V.I. Industrial Development Commission, which launched de Jongh's career in public service.<ref name=vidn/>

Luis was barred from seeking a third consecutive term in the 1986 gubernatorial election due to term limits.<ref name=scroix/> 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 his successor Alexander Farrelly, who won re-election.<ref name=scroix/>

Luis was hospitalized at the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital & Medical Center on St. Croix on June 3, 2011.<ref name=scroix/> He died at the hospital the next day, at the age of 70.<ref name=scroix/> His funeral mass was held at the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Christiansted.<ref name=sthomas/> He was buried at Kingshill Cemetery in Kingshill following a graveside service, which included full military honors by the Virgin Islands National Guard.<ref name=sthomas/>

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.<ref name=sthomas/>

He died less than a week after the passing of another U.S. Virgin Islands political figure, former Lt. Governor Derek Hodge.<ref name=vidn7>{{cite news|first=Aldeth|last=Lewin|title=Former Lt. Gov. Derek Hodge dies at 69|url=http://virginislandsdailynews.com/former-lt-gov-derek-hodge-dies-at-69-1.1155516#axzz1TB0NkGbb|work=Virgin Islands Daily News|date=2011-06-01|accessdate=2011-07-26|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005220451/http://virginislandsdailynews.com/former-lt-gov-derek-hodge-dies-at-69-1.1155516|archive-date=2011-10-05}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Cyril King}} {{s-ttl|title=Governor of the United States Virgin Islands|years=1978–1987}} {{s-aft|after=Alexander Farrelly}} {{s-end}}

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

{{DEFAULTSORT:Luis, Juan Francisco}} Category:1940 births Category:2011 deaths Category:Democratic Party governors of the United States Virgin Islands Category:Governors of the United States Virgin Islands Category:Independent Citizens Movement politicians Category:Interamerican University of Puerto Rico alumni Category:Lieutenant governors of the United States Virgin Islands Category:People from Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Category:People from Vieques, Puerto Rico Category:Senators of the Legislature of the United States Virgin Islands Category:United States Army soldiers Category:United States Virgin Islands military personnel Category:United States Virgin Islands people of Puerto Rican descent