Alexander Farrelly

Alexander Farrelly

Alexander Anthony Farrelly (December 29, 1923 – September 10, 2002) was the governor of the United States Virgin Islands serving from 1987 to 1995.

Farrelly graduated from St. John's University, Queens, New York in 1954 with a bachelor's degree in law. He later went on to earn a master's degree in law from Yale University in 1958.

Governor Farrelly tackled many major issues during his two terms as Governor, including increasing the number of affordable housing, enhancing the education and health system in the territory and purchasing the West Indian Company from the Danish Government which will continue to be one of the beacons of the Farrelly/Hodge Administration. Governor Farrelly also had to manage a territoty that was ravaged by Hurricane Hugo, and that destroyed most of the homes and infrastructure on St. Croix and St. Thomas. Governor Farrelly will be remembered for the unprecedented number of women he hired in his administration, from Commissioners to Judges to members of his security detail.

In 1991, Joan Harrigan married Governor Farrelly, becoming the First Lady of the Territory. Mrs. Harrigan-Farrelly continued to work full time as the Director of the Coastal Zone Management, while carrying out her responsibilities as First Lady. Mrs. Harrigan-Farrelly has been and continues to be a champion on issues concerning empowering women and reducing and eliminating domestic violence; teenage pregnancy prevention, literacy issues and environmental issues.

Governor Farrelly and his wife were married for eleven years before he died at his home in Arlington, Virginia on September 10, 2002.