Charles Wesley Turnbull

Charles Wesley Turnbull (February 5, 1935 – July 3, 2022) was a U.S. Virgin Islands politician, educator and historian who served as the sixth governor of the United States Virgin Islands from 1999 to 2007.

Biography Charles Wesley Turnbull was born on February 6, 1935, in the island of St. Thomas to John Wesley Turnbull and Ruth Ann Eliza Skelton of Tortola. Prior to being elected governor in 1998, he was a professor at the University of the Virgin Islands, Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner of the territorial Department of Education, principal and assistant principal of Charlotte Amalie High School, and a teacher in elementary and secondary schools.

During his tenure as governor, Turnbull served as a member of the National Governors Association, the Southern Governors' Association, and the Democratic Governors Association.

Turnbull was prohibited from seeking re-election in 2006 due to term limits. His term of office expired on January 1, 2007, and he was succeeded by John de Jongh. Turnbull served as a member of the Virgin Islands Fifth Constitutional Convention.

Post-gubernatorial career In 2011, the 29th Legislature passed a resolution naming the Estate Tutu Regional Library on St. Thomas after him. Turnbull was awarded with the Virgin Islands Medal of Honor.

From 2015 to 2017, Turnbull served as a member of the Centennial Commission.

Personal life Turnbull died from a brief illness in Washington, D.C., on July 3, 2022, at the age of 87.