John David Merwin (born September 26, 1921) is a former politician of the United States Virgin Islands who served in that territory's Legislature, as Government Secretary (equivalent to Lieutenant Governor), and as the first native born 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 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 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, New York.
Famous quotes containing the words david and/or merwin:
“Such were the first rude beginnings of a town. They spoke of the practicability of a winter road to the Moosehead Carry, which would not cost much, and would connect them with steam and staging and all the busy world. I almost doubted if the lake would be there,—the self-same lake,—preserve its form and identity, when the shores should be cleared and settled; as if these lakes and streams which explorers report never awaited the advent of the citizen.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“all afternoon
Their witless offspring flock like piped rats to its siren
Crescendo, and agape on the crumbling ridge
Stand in a row and learn.”
—William Stanley Merwin (b. 1927)