BIOGRAPHY

	Ralph De Magne de Chabert (1890-1955), journalist, writer, legislator, public servant, businessman, farmer and family man, was born on St. Croix on January 12, 1890 to Louis and Laura de Chabert. An autodidactic, he pursued journalistic and legal studies by correspondence with LaSalle University.
As a young man, he became a labor leader. Subsequently, he founded a newspaper, The St. Croix Tribune, which he edited and published from 1922 to 1936. And from 1936 to 1938, he served on the St. Croix Municipal Council. Among his legislative accomplishments was the introduction of the Homestead Act, which enabled many Virgin Islanders to purchase land at reasonable prices. From 1938 until the early 1950s, he served in the public sector in a number of different capacities, including Tax Assessor, Recorder of Deeds, Warehouse Inspector, and Collector of Excise Taxes. In 1940, he became a dairy farmer on a 235-acre farm on Estates Rosegate, Estate Work and Rest, and Estate Olive. In 1945, he purchased large tracts of land comprising Estates Jerusalem, Hope, and Blessing on the south side of St, Croix, where he expanded his dairy farming business. This land eventually became the location of the Hess Oil Refinery in the 1960s.. During these same years, he was active in many commercial and political activities, serving as Vice-President of Central Sugar Factory and Vice-president and one of the founders of the St. Croix Democratic Party. He served as a member of the Homestead Commission for 18 years; and he was one of the founders and president of the first St. Croix Chamber of Commerce. He also embraced numerous civic responsibilities, including service as: member of the Selective Service Board; Chairman of the March of Dimes; and one of the founders of the island's first Junior High Schools. After many years of service to the community, Ralph retired from public service in 1950 because of ill health. He was widely known and respected as a soft-spoken intellectual whose command of both Danish and English made him a skilled writer and eloquent speaker. He was married to Ansetta Muckle de Chabert, a local legend in her own right. They had five children, who, following their parents example of education and public service became-a physician, a school administrator, two college professors and an attorney. At his death Ralph de Chabert was described by a local newspaper as "sober, deep thinking, frugal, and hardworking." He was all that and much more. His deep love for St. Croix and its people are evident in his complete dedication to public service and numerous productive works during his lifetime. The Ralph de Chabert Virgin Islands and Caribbean Collection at the University of the Virgin Islands is a fitting testimonial to his life and beliefs.