Juan Francisco Luis was a US Virgin Islander politician who served as the third elected Governor of the United States Virgin Islands.
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34 Facts About Juan Luis
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2.
Juan Luis held the governor's office from 1978 until 1987, becoming the longest-serving governor in the history of the US Virgin Islands.
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3.
Juan Luis was born in 1940 on the neighboring island of Vieques in Puerto Rico.
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4.
Juan Luis moved with his family to Saint Croix—which has a sizeable Puerto Rican community—in the US Virgin Islands when he was two months old.
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5.
In 1958, Juan Luis graduated from the former Christiansted High School as his class' valedictorian.
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6.
Juan Luis worked as a project office manager for the Department of Housing and Urban Development before serving in the US Army.
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7.
Juan Luis was honorably discharged from the United States Army in 1968, holding the rank of sergeant.
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8.
Juan Luis returned to St Croix after his discharge, where he married his wife, the former Luz Maria Guadalupe.
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9.
Juan Luis took a series of positions within the civil service and private sector until his election to office in 1972.
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In 1968, Juan Luis became a personnel administrative officer in the Virgin Islands Department of Health.
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11.
Juan Luis held several positions in the private sector from 1970 to 1972.
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12.
Juan Luis worked for Litwin Corporation as an industrial relations manager.
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13.
Finally, Juan Luis was employed as a personnel manager and comptroller at the Estate Carlton Hotel.
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14.
Juan 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.
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Juan Luis served one, two-year term as a Senator before seeking higher office in 1974.
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In 1974, two years after his election to the Legislature, gubernatorial candidate Cyril King persuaded Juan Luis to join his ticket as his running mate for lieutenant governor.
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King and Juan Luis were elected as governor and lieutenant governor in a gubernatorial runoff election held in November 1974, defeating the Democratic ticket of Alexander Farrelly and Ruby Rouss.
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18.
On February 21,1978, Governor Juan Luis appointed banker Henry Millin, a Democrat, as his first lieutenant governor in an announcement broadcast on television and radio.
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19.
Millin became Juan Luis' running mate in the 1978 gubernatorial election in November.
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20.
Juan Luis chose to run for governor as an independent candidate, dropping his previous political affiliation with the ICM in the election.
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Juan Luis won all three major islands in the election, including a landslide win on Saint Croix.
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22.
In 1982, Juan Luis announced his campaign for re-election to a second full term.
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23.
Juan Luis needed a new running mate and he selected Julio Brady to replace Millin on the ticket.
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24.
Juan Luis was re-elected to a second term on November 2,1982, in a five-candidate race.
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25.
Governor Juan Luis created a new office, the federal programs coordinator, which worked to better coordinate federal funding and cultivate better relations with US federal agencies, such as the Office of Insular Affairs.
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26.
Juan Luis is credited by many, including current Governor John de Jongh, with the overhaul and creation of the US Virgin Islands' present health care system during his time in office.
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In education, Juan Luis abolished the practice of holding two separate sessions of school at the same school during the day.
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Juan Luis oversaw the construction of other infrastructure projects, including the creation of a container terminal on Saint Croix.
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29.
Governor Juan Luis was credited with launching the political careers of some of the US Virgin Islands' most prominent politicians.
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30.
Juan Luis was barred from seeking a third consecutive term in the 1986 gubernatorial election due to term limits.
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Juan Luis was succeeded by Alexander Farrelly on January 5,1987.
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32.
Juan Luis died at the hospital on June 4,2011, at the age of 70.
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Juan Luis was buried at Kingshill Cemetery in Kingshill, US Virgin Islands following a graveside service, which included a full military tribute by the Virgin Islands National Guard.
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34.
Juan Luis died less than a week after the passing of another US Virgin Islands political figure, former Lt.
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