Dr. Melvin H. Evans was inaugurated as the first elected governor of the United States Virgin Islands on January 4, 1971. Prior to his election, governors were appointed by the U.S. President. Evans, a Republican, had been serving as the appointed governor since July 1969. Following the passage of the Elective Governor Acts of 1968, which allowed for the election of governors by the territory’s residents, Evans won the 1970 gubernatorial election, making history as both the first elected governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the first Black person elected governor in the United States.

During his tenure, Evans focused on infrastructure development, notably overseeing the construction of 25.3 miles of roads in his first year—surpassing the total built in the previous decade. He also established the Consumer Protection Council and significantly increased the size of the Virgin Islands Police Department from 105 to 445 officers between 1969 and 1974.

After serving as governor until 1975, Evans continued his public service by being elected as the Virgin Islands’ delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1978. He later served as the U.S. Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago from 1981 until his passing in 1984.