Cyril King

Cyril Emanuel King ( born April 7, 1921 in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands; † January 2, 1978 in Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands ) was an American politician. In 1969 and 1975-1978 he was governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Career

During the Second World War, Cyril King served in the U.S. Army. Then he studied until 1951 Public Administration at the American University. In 1949 he worked on the staff of U.S. Senator Hubert H. Humphrey. He was the first African American ever, who worked on the staff of a U.S. senator. In 1957 he was appointed by a committee of the state Legislature his home (Organic Act Committee) to their representatives in the federal capital, Washington DC appointed by a process called the Congress for a constitutional reform of the Virgin Islands. He later became Secretary of State in its territory, which included the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

In 1969, he bridged as acting governor, the time between the departure of Governor Ralph Moses Paiewonsky and the inauguration of his successor, Melvin H. Evans. These included the time span between 12 February and 1 July 1969. In 1972, King was elected to the Senate of the Virgin Islands. Two years later he became the successor of Melvin Evans new governor of the island group. This post he held between January 6, 1975 to his death on 2 January 1978. In 1984, the airport of Saint Thomas was named after him. It bears the name of Cyril E. King Airport.