List of people from the United States Virgin Islands

Flag of the U.S. Virgin Islands

This is a list of prominent people who were born in, lived in, or are otherwise closely associated with the United States Virgin Islands (which are composed of the islands of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas). This list does not include people from the British Virgin Islands. The list covers notable individuals who have garnered international recognition in artistic, cultural, economic, historical, notorious, and political arenas.

Actors

Kelsey Grammer

• Lisa Canning (born 1966), television actress
• Kelsey Grammer (born 1955), actor
• Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (born 1953), actor
• Jasmin St. Claire (born 1970), adult film actress

Artists

• Camille Pissarro (1830–1903) artist, French Impressionist painter
• Fraser Kershaw philanthropist, film artist
• Austin Hansen (1910-1996), Harlem photographer

Athletes

• Glen "Kimble" Williams is a former professional basketball player.
• Ray Hodge is a former professional badketball player.
• Milt Newton former professional basketball player; "administrator" for multiple NBA teams.
• Ron A. Charles (born 1959) retired basketball player.
• Charles Claxton Jr. (born 1970) is a retired basketball player
• Tim Duncan (born 1976), professional basketball player (San Antonio Spurs)
• Raja Bell (born 1976), professional basketball player
• Tombi Bell (born 1979), former professional basketball player (sister to Raja Bell).
• Joe Christopher (born 1935), first baseball player born in the territory to play in Major League Baseball
• Alvin McBean (born 1938), professional baseball player
• Horace Clarke (born 1940), professional baseball player
• Elrod Hendricks (1940–2005), professional baseball player and coach
• Jerry Browne (born 1966), professional baseball player
• Midre Cummings (born 1971), professional baseball player
• Calvin Pickering (born 1976), professional baseball player
• Peter Jackson (1861–1901) was an Australian boxer born on St. Croix who won the World Colored Heavyweight Championship.
• Emile Griffith (1938-2013), professional boxing champion
• "Sugar" Ray Seales (born 1952 in Saint Croix); only American boxer to gold in the 1972 Summer Olympics.
• Livingstone Bramble (born 1960 on St. Kitts & Nevis; raised on St. Croix), former professional boxing champion.
• Julian Jackson (born 1960), former professional boxing champion.
• Christian Lloyd Joseph (born 1972),professional boxer; born on St.Croix.
• Julius Jackson (born 1987), professional boxer (son of Julian Jackson)
• John Jackson (born 1989), professional boxer (son of Julian Jackson; brother to Julius Jackson)
• Peter Holmberg (born October 4, 1960), Olympic sailor that (as of 6/30/16) is the only member of the USVI Olympic Team to win an Olympic medal.

Entrepreneurs

• Sosthenes Behn (1882-1957), founder of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company and ITT Corporation
• William Leidesdorff, (1810-1848), entrepreneur

Musicians

• Alton Adams (1889–1987), musician, first black bandmaster in the United States Navy
• Bennie Benjamin (1907–1989), composer
• Delyno Brown reggae artist
• Vanessa Daou International Singer-Songwriter, Dancer, Writer, Poet
• DJ Many disc jockey, music producer, recording artist
• Theron Thomas, member of musical duo Rock City
• Jon Lucien (1942–2007), vocalist and musician; born on the island of Tortola and raised on Saint Thomas.

Political leaders

Judah P. Benjamin

• Archie Alexander (1888–1958), mathematician, engineer, former Governor of the Virgin Islands
• Judah P. Benjamin (1811–1884), Secretary of the Treasury, Confederate States of America
• Edward Wilmot Blyden (1832–1912), Liberian educator, writer, diplomat, and politician
• Frank Rudolph Crosswaith (1892–1965), socialist and labor leader
• Ron De Lugo, St. Croix politician and former candidate for governor
• Rothschild Francis (1891–1963), councilman, civil rights and labor leader
• Hubert Henry Harrison (1883–1927), orator, political activist
• William H. Hastie (1904–1976), jurist, lawyer, Governor of the Virgin Islands
• Ulises Heureaux (1845-1899), former President of the Dominican Republic (mother born in Saint Thomas)
• Casper Holstein (1888-?), humanitarian
• Roy Innis (born 1934), African-American activist, civil rights leader
• D. Hamilton Jackson (1884–1946), journalist, labor leader, attorney, judge
• J. Raymond Jones (1899–1991), political leader, humanitarian
• William Leidesdorff (1810–1848), entrepreneur
• Juan Francisco Luis (1940-2011), 24th Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands
• Terence Todman (born 1926), former U.S. ambassador
• Ashley L. Totten (1884–1963), union leader, humanitarian
• Denmark Vesey (1767–1822), slave revolt leader
• Peter Carl Frederik von Scholten (1784–1854), Governor-General of the Danish West Indies from 1827 to 1848

Writers

• Barbara Christian (1943–2000), educator and writer
• Karrine Steffans (Born 1978), author

See also

• List of Eastern Caribbean people
• Virgin Islands American

External links

• University of the Virgin Islands: Profiles of outstanding Virgin Islanders (1972)
• Media Library Services, Department of Education, St. Croix District: Profiles of Outstanding Virgin Islanders