De Lugo, Ron, 1930-2020

DE LUGO, Ron, the first Delegate from the Territory of the Virgin Islands; born in Englewood, N.J., August 2, 1930; educated at Saints Peter and Paul School, St. Thomas, V.I., and Colegio San Jose, P.R.; served in the United States Army, 1948-1950; program director and announcer, Armed Forces Radio Service, 1948; WSTA radio, St. Thomas, V.I., 1950; WIVI radio, St. Croix, V.I., 1955; Virgin Islands territorial senator, 1956-1960, 1963-1966; served as minority leader, 1958-1966; Democratic National Committeeman, 1959; member, Democratic National Committee, 1960-1964; administrator for St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands, April 1961-August 1962; representative, Virgin Islands, Washington, D.C., 1968-1972; delegate, Democratic National Conventions, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968; elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-third, Ninety-fourth, and Ninety-fifth Congresses (January 3, 1973-January 3, 1979); was not a candidate for reelection in 1978 to the Ninety-sixth Congress but was an unsuccessful candidate for election as Governor of the Virgin Islands; elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-seventh and to the six succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1981-January 3, 1995); was not a candidate for reelection in 1994 to the One Hundred Fourth Congress; died on July 14, 2020, in Miami, Fla.

<p>Descended from an early Hispanic settler, Ron de Lugo became a fixture in territorial politics as the U.S. Virgin Islands gained greater autonomy in the late 20th century. A well-known radio personality and an early territorial senator, de Lugo successfully lobbied to create the position of Delegate to the U.S. House, which he held for a total of two decades. He proved to be a key figure in U.S. territorial policy. In the words of a contemporary, de Lugo “left an indelible mark on the history of the United States territories and the freely associated states.” Barred by the House Rules from voting on the floor for all but one Congress, he managed nevertheless to maneuver money and services to the Virgin Islands and to defend its economic and political interests. Describing his home territory as “a community of people of different origins and diverse cultural backgrounds,” de Lugo sought for his constituents “the full benefits of our citizenship … just as we have met our responsibility as citizens.”</p>

<p>Ron de Lugo was born in Englewood, New Jersey, on August 2, 1930, to a family with deep roots in the Caribbean. The de Lugos had emigrated from Puerto Rico to the Virgin Islands in 1879. Ron de Lugo’s grandfather, Antonio Lugo y Suarez, was a merchant on St. Thomas, and his father, Angelo, carried on the family business. Ron de Lugo attended Saints Peter and Paul School in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, before transferring to the Colegio San José in Puerto Rico. He enlisted in the army for a two-year tour in 1948, working as a program director for the U.S. Armed Forces Radio network. After leaving the military, de Lugo worked in broadcasting as a civilian, helping to found WSTA, the first radio station in St. Thomas. De Lugo gained island-wide fame for his radio persona, the wisecracking comedian Mango Jones, as well as for appearances in local plays and benefit concerts. In 1952 de Lugo used his radio show to revive the St. Thomas Carnival, a days-long celebration of the island’s cultural heritage. De Lugo and his first wife, Maria Morales Viera, had three children—James, Angela Maria, and Maria Cristina—before divorcing.5 James (Jay) de Lugo died in a car accident in Virginia in 1972 at age 20. Ron de Lugo later married Sheila Paiewonsky.</p>

<p>In 1955 de Lugo moved to St. Croix, where he won election to the Second Virgin Islands Legislature as an At-Large Democrat in 1956. The youngest member of the legislature, he embarked on a career of nearly four decades in Virgin Islands politics. In 1960 de Lugo won election as the territory’s representative to the Democratic National Committee. The following year, he took a break from the legislature when he was appointed by the territorial governor to act as a liaison for local concerns in St. Croix. De Lugo returned to the legislature from 1962 to 1966. In 1968 Virgin Islanders elected de Lugo the territorial representative to the U.S. government. Essentially working as a lobbyist for issues affecting the Virgin Islands, de Lugo set his sights on winning a congressional seat for the territory. In 1972 the House considered legislation that provided for popularly elected Delegates for the Virgin Islands and Guam, who would not be permitted a vote on the House Floor. Having testified in support of the bill before several congressional committees, and having lobbied intensely on its behalf, de Lugo called its signature into law on April 10, 1972, “a sweet victory” and considered this one of his greatest accomplishments as a territorial advocate.</p>

<p>Ron de Lugo (August 2, 1930 – July 14, 2020) was an American politician. He was the first Delegate from the United States Virgin Islands to the United States House of Representatives. Ron de Lugo's parents were Puerto Ricans. Mr. De Lugo's grandfather owned a hardware store and gun dealership in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. Ron's parents were living in New Jersey at the time Ron was born and also lived in the Virgin Islands as civil servants. He was born in Englewood, New Jersey, and attended the Colegio San José, Puerto Rico. He served in the United States Army as a program director and announcer for the Armed Forces Radio Service. He worked at WSTA radio, St. Thomas, and also at the WIVI radio, St. Croix. He was a Virgin Islands territorial Senator, a Democratic National Committeeman, the administrator for St. Croix, the representative of the Virgin Islands to Washington, D.C., and a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1956, 1960, 1964 and 1968.</p>

<p>De Lugo was elected as a Democratic Delegate to the United States House of Representatives, serving from January 3, 1973 to January 3, 1979.</p>

<p>De Lugo chose not to seek re-election to the U.S. House in 1978 in order to pursue a bid for Governor of the United States Virgin Islands. De Lugo challenged incumbent Democratic Governor Juan Francisco Luis in the 1978 gubernatorial election. He chose Eric E. Dawson, a Senator in the Legislature of the Virgin Islands, as his running mate for lieutenant governor. Governor Juan Luis defeated de Lugo in the gubernatorial general election on November 7, 1978. Gov. Luis and Lt. Henry Millin won 10,978 votes, or 59.2% of the total vote. De Lugo and Dawson placed second, garnering 7,568 votes, or 40.8%. Luis won all three of the U.S. Virgin Islands' main islands in the election.</p>