Ralph Moses Paiewonsky (November 9, 1907 in Saint Thomas,

Danish West Indies The Danish West Indies () or Danish Virgin Islands () or Danish Antilles were a Danish colony in the Caribbean, consisting of the islands of Saint Thomas with , Saint John () with , Saint Croix with , and Water Island. The islands of St ...

– November 9, 1991, in

Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Saint Thomas (, , ) is one of the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea, and a constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincorporated territory of the United States. Along with surrounding minor islands, it is one of t ...

) was a businessman and politician who served as the ninth civilian governor of the

United States Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands, officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and a territory of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located ...

from 1961–1969. Ralph Paiewonsky was the son of Jewish

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Lithuania, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe ** Lithuanian language ** Lithuanians, a Baltic ethnic group, native to Lithuania and the immediate geographical region ** L ...

immigrants to the

. He graduated from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

in 1930. His degree was in chemistry. His father owned A.H. Riise & Co. Ltd. an apothecary, general store, and a bay rum distillery in St. Thomas. After he returned to the Virgin Islands his father bought the government-owned beverage rum distillery on St. Croix. Ralph Paiewonsky found out that the shortage of water-limited expansion. He proceeded to develop yeast strains that could ferment a mixture of molasses and seawater. After he and his brother Isidor Paiewonsky managed various family businesses, and was the founder of the West Indies Bank and Trust Company in 1954 later acquired by Chase Manhattan. In 1961, he was appointed Governor by President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

. Paiewonsky's administration established the Department of Housing and Community Renewal in 1962, and began a program of land acquisition and home construction. Approximately 8,000 new homes were built under this program during Paiewonsky's term. He also supported public education reforms and the establishment of the

University of the Virgin Islands The University of the Virgin Islands (or UVI) is a public historically black land-grant university in the United States Virgin Islands. History UVI was founded as the College of the Virgin Islands on March 16, 1962. In 1986, it officially becam ...

in 1962. When he appeared on the TV show "

To Tell The Truth ''To Tell the Truth'' is an American television panel show. Four celebrity panelists are presented with three contestants (the "team of challengers", each an individual or pair) and must identify which is the "central character" whose unusual ...

" he donated his winnings to the University of the Virgin Islands. Paiewonsky served as chairman of the university's board of directors until his death; the university's library on St. Thomas is named for Paiewonsky. Paiewonsky was a delegate to

Democratic National Conventions The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 18 ...

between 1940 and 1960, and served as National Democratic Committeeman from the Virgin Islands. He was awarded

honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

s from

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...

and

Fairleigh Dickinson University Fairleigh Dickinson University () is a private university with its main campuses in New Jersey, located in Madison / Florham Park and in Teaneck / Hackensack. Founded in 1942, Fairleigh Dickinson University offers more than 100 degree prog ...

in 1967. In 1991, he published an autobiography, "Memoirs of A Governor."

External links

Profile, "Prominent U.S. Virgin Islanders
1907 births 1991 deaths Governors of the United States Virgin Islands University of the Virgin Islands faculty United States Virgin Islands Jews United States Virgin Islands people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent Jewish American government officials People from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands politicians 20th-century American Jews New York University alumni {{USVirginIslands-bio-stub