Americans Who Acted as Civil Governors in the Philippines

1. William Howard Taft (July 4, 1901 to December

23, 1903)

- The first civil governor of the Philippines

- In 1900, he served as the chairman of the Taft
Commission, which later became the Philippine
civil government.
- A skilled businessman and administrator,
concentrated on the archipelago's economic
growth.
- He was so committed to the people of the
Philippines that he twice turned down Theodore Roosevelt's offer to be
named to the Supreme Court.
- He didn't agree to leave the islands until 1904, when he was appointed
Secretary of War, but only on the condition that he may continue to
manage Philippine affairs.

2. Luke Edward Wright (February 1, 1904 to March

30, 1906)

- Was chosen to serve as the civil governor when

Taft left.
- He emphasized the necessity for the islands'
transportation and industrial growth and
emphasized the importance of being
welcoming and motivating to everyone who
visits the island for legitimate development.
- Manila greatly improved under his leadership.
Strong piers were built to shield it from strong
winds and typhoons. During his administration, the water system was
improved and expanded, and the nation's first electric transportation
service was launched.
- Before his term expired on April 1, 1906, the Cooper Act, an act of the US
Congress, altered the title of the position from Civil Governor to Governor-
General, making him the first Governor-General of the Philippines.
3. Henry Clay Ide (April 1, 1906 to September 19,
1906)

- One of the Taft Commission commissioners.

- As soon as he arrived in the Philippines in June
1901, he acquired legislative authority.
- After being selected as a member of Taft's
cabinet, he later acquired executive authority
and served as the Secretary of Finance and
Justice until 1904.
- After Wright left, he took over as acting
governor-general in November 1905, and in
April 1906, he succeeded him.
- In September of the same year, he submitted his resignation and returned
to Washington, D.C.

4. James Francis Smith (September 20, 1906 to

November 11, 1909)

- James Francis Smith had a number of jobs

before becoming governor-general.
- He was appointed as the Philippine
Archipelago's Customs Collector in 1901,
Associate Justice of the Philippine Supreme
Court in 1903, Secretary of Public Instruction for
the United States Philippine Commission in 1903,
and Vice Governor of the Philippines in 1906.
- He was finally appointed Governor-General of
the Philippines on September 20, 1906, and
served in that capacity until November 11, 1909.

5. William Cameron Forbes (November 11, 1909 to

September 1, 1913)

- On November 11, 1909, while Taft was president,

an American investment banker named William
Cameros Forbes was chosen to serve as the
governor-general of the Philippines.
- Prior to that, he served as the Commissioner of
Commerce and Police for the Philippines Insular
Government from 1904 to 1908 and as Vice-
Governor from 1908 to 1909.
- The gated community of Forbes Park in Makati City, where some of the
wealthiest people in the country reside, was named after him.

6. Newton Whiting Gilbert (September 1, 1913 to

October 6, 1913)

- From September 1 through October 6, 1913,

Newton Whiting Gilbert served as the Philippines'
acting governor-general until Francis Burton Harrison
arrived in Manila.

7. Francis Burton Harrison (October 6, 1913 to March 5,

1921)

- Was named governor-general of the Philippines,

under the reign of the United States, Woodrow
Wilson, the president.
- Harrison was in charge during this time and pushed
for giving the Filipinos more power so they could be
better prepared for independence.
- The Jones Act, sometimes known as the Philippine
Autonomy Act, was approved and established the
first entirely elected legislature in the Philippines
during his reign.
- He gained popularity among Filipinos thanks to his pro-Filipino stances.
- Conservative Americans, who believed his actions didn't serve the
interests of the United States, however, criticized him in return.
8. Charles Emmett Yeater (March 5, 1921 to October 14,
1921)

- While Leonard Wood was on his way, Charles Emmett

Yeater acted as the Philippines' acting governor-
general.

9. Leonard Wood (October 14, 1921 to August 7, 1927)

- During the Spanish-American War, Theodore

Roosevelt's Rough Riders were commanded by
Leonard Wood. He arrived in the Philippines in order to
lead the Philippine Division (1906–1908) and serve as
the governor of Moro province (1903).

- He left the U.S Army in 1921 and was selected to serve

as the provost of the University of Pennsylvania. He
requested a leave of absence, which allowed him to
spend a year fulfilling his new role as governor-general
of the Philippines. He resigned from his role as provost
nonetheless and chose to remain in the nation.

- After vetoing 16 bills in his first year in office, Wood came under fire for
abusing his rejecting power. In his nearly 8-year administration, Francis
Burton Harrison only vetoed five bills.

- There was conflict between Wood and the government of the Philippines,
and some Filipino officials even called for his dismissal. In opposition to
some of his acts, members of his government also submitted their
resignations.

- He passed away in 1927 while undergoing treatment for a brain tumor,

leaving the tense differences between him and the authorities of the
Philippines unresolved.
10. Eugene Allen Gilmore (August 7, 1927 to December
27, 1927 and February 23, 1929 to July 8, 1929)

- Was never chosen to serve as the Philippines' official

governor-general, despite having comparable
qualifications and experience.
- He only held the position of acting governor twice,
from February 23, 1929 to July 8, 1929 and from August
7, 1927 to December 27, 1927.
- Even after his lengthy, devoted service to the
Philippines and the Filipinos, which without a doubt
qualified him for the role, some people were disappointed when he didn't
get the appointment.

11. Henry Lewis Stimson (December 27, 1927 to February

23, 1929)

- Like many other governors general who have been

appointed, Stimson had a long career before being
given the job.
- He became the Secretary of War (1911-1913) under
President Taft’s term, and Secretary of the State (1929-
1933) under Pres. Hoover’s tenure, and Secretary of
War (1940-1945) again during Pres. Roosevelt and
Truman’s administrations.
- He was appointed governor-general of the Philippines
in 1927 and held that position through 1929.
- However, Stimson believed that the Filipinos weren't prepared for the
obligations that come with independence and self-governance.

12. Dwight Filley Davis (July 8, 1929 to January 9, 1932)

- The Davis Cup was established by politician and

sportsman Dwight F. Davis.
- He was appointed both the Assistant and the
Secretary of War (1923–1925 and 1925–1929,
respectively).
- After that, was appointed by Pres. Hoover as the
Philippines' governor general (1929–1922). In general,
both in the Philippines and the United States, people
were pleased with his appointment. Later on, he was
appointed to the American cabinet.
 13. George Charles Butte (January 9, 1932 to February 29,
1932)

Between 1925 to 1928, he was the attorney general of Puerto

Rico and the U.S. attorney general's special assistant. He was
the vice governor of the Philippines in 1930 before taking on
the role of acting governor-general in 1932.

14. Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (February 29, 1932 to July 15,

1933)

- Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the president's oldest child,

served as Puerto Rico's governor from 1929 to 1932.
- His efforts impressed President Hoover subsequently
selected him in 1932 to serve as governor-general of
the Philippines.

15. William Francis Murphy (July 15, 1933 to November

15, 1935)

- The Philippines' most recent governor general

- During his tenure (1933–1955), he emphasized the
need for social justice and expressed concern for
the plight of everyday Filipinos, particularly the
oppressed and land-hungry tenant farmers.
- In November 1935, the Commonwealth of the
Philippines was established, giving rise to the
transitional administration that would set the
country up for independence.
- As a result, the title of governor-general was altered to high-commissioner,
who served as a representative of the US government but had no
executive authority.
- On July 4, 1946, 47 years after the end of the Filipino-American War,
William Francis Murphy was appointed as the first of the three high
commissioners in the islands.
Reference:
Americans Who Acted as Civil Governors in the Philippines. (n.d.). Retrieved from Filipino
American War: https://filipinoamericanwar.com/americans-who-acted-as-civil-
governors-in-the-philippines/