Juan, Luis
LUIS, JUAN FRANCISCO Senator, Governor Vieques, Puerto Rico 1940 - The first governor to serve ten consecutive years as chief executive of the territory, Juan Francisco Luis was elected lieutenant governor in 1975 with Cyril E. King, the second elected governor of the Virgin Islands. When Governor King died in office on January 2, 1978, Juan Luis was immediately sworn into office that night. Initially a member of the Democratic Party, in 1978 Luis ran for the governorship under the banner of the Independent Citizens Movement Party (ICM). Successful in his efforts, he was sworn into office as the third elected governor on January 3,1979. The new governor was presented for the swearing-in ceremonies by the Honorable Melvin H. Evans, the last presidentially appointed governor and the first popularly elected governor. The oath of office was administered by the Honorable Almeric Christian, chief judge of the U.S. District Court, and the first Virgin Islander named to this position, which he occupied for almost ten years. In his inaugural address, Governor Luis repeated his promise made to the people at the taking of his oath as lt. governor. At that time, he said, "All I want to be is a good lt. governor." In 1979, he said, "All l want to be is a good governor," and he pledged to improve the quality of life in the Virgin Islands. Listed as some of his achievements as governor are the elimination of double sessions in public schools, establishment of modern health care systems, initial expansion and financing of the airports on St. Thomas and St. Croix, construction of a new container port on St. Croix, acquisition of land on St. Croix for home ownership and agriculture and several capital construction projects. At the end of his four years, he ran again in 1982 and served until 1986, but as stipulated by law, he could not succeed himself in a third race for governor. At the end of this term, there was a break in his fourteen years of public service. However, in 1990, he re-entered the race for governor, but lost in his bid to Alexander Farrelly. Prior to his tenure as chief executive, he held several other governmental positions, including project manager for the Virgin Islands Urban Renewal and personnel administrative officer in the Department of Health. He was elected senator in the Tenth Legislature, 1972, and served as chairman of the Legislative Housing and Planning Committee, vice chairman of the Recreation Committee, and member of the Committees on Finance, Public Safety, Health and Welfare, Labor, and Veterans Affairs. As a senator, he introduced several bills of benefit to sports, housing, and abused children. Born on July 10, 1940, on Vieques, he and his parents, Juan, Sr., and Victoria Monell Luis, moved to St. Croix one year later and Juan Luis grew up on that island. After completing his elementary and secondary education there, earning the valedictorian's award from Christiansted High School in 1958, he attended the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico in the pre-medical program. He later taught at Christiansted Grammar School and worked for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. When his employment was interrupted with a call to join the U.S. Army, he was selected "Outstanding Trainee." He was honorably discharged in 1968 with the rank of sergeant. In June 1967, he married Luz Maria Guadaloupe of St. Croix and they are the parents of two children, Juan Francisco, Jr., and Carlota Amalia.
