Cyril King

King was born in Frederiksted on the island of Saint Croix, where he lived during his formative years. During World War II, he served in the 873rd Port Company in Hawaii. After the completion of his service, he attended the American University, where he earned a public administration degree. ==Political career==

Starting in 1949, King worked for Minnesota senator Hubert Humphrey, as the first black member of staff of the U.S. Senate. Even though his 1970 campaign was unsuccessful, he ran again in 1974 and won, becoming the second governor of the Virgin Islands. At the time of his death, he had been planning to run for a second term. ==Death==

While stateside on official business in 1977, King took ill and decided to return to the territory where he was welcomed by a large crowd of supporters at the airport that now bears his name. He worked from home but never recovered fully, and died on January 2, 1978. It was eventually revealed he suffered from cancer. ==Legacy==

A Virgin Islands statute puts aside April 7, King's birthday, as Cyril Emmanuel King Day. In 1984, the Harry S. Truman Airport on St. Thomas was renamed Cyril E. King Airport by the Virgin Islands Legislature. ==References==