Vernon Huber
{{Short description|United States admiral}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =
|name = Vernon Huber
|honorific-suffix =
|smallimage = Vernon Huber.jpg
|alt =
|caption =
|office = Governor of American Samoa
|term_start = April 22, 1947
|term_end = June 15, 1949
|lieutenant =
|predecessor = Harold Houser
|successor = Thomas Francis Darden Jr.
|birth_date = August 28, 1899
|birth_place = Philadelphia, Illinois
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1967|6|17|1899|8|28}}
|death_place = El Camino Hospital, Los Altos, California
|restingplace =
|party =
|spouse = Ida Brown
|alma_mater = United States Naval Academy
|occupation = Naval officer
|religion =
|signature =
|signature_alt=
|nickname =
|allegiance = {{flag|United States}}
|branch = {{nowrap|File:United States Department of the Navy Seal.svg}} United States Navy
|serviceyears =
|rank = 32px Rear admiral
|unit =
|commands = {{USS|Livermore|DD-429|6}}
|battles = World War I
World War II
|awards = Legion of Merit
Navy Commendation Medal
}}
Vernon Huber (August 28, 1899 – June 17, 1967) was a United States Navy rear admiral, and the governor of American Samoa from April 22, 1947, to June 15, 1949. He was born in Philadelphia, Illinois, and was appointed to the United States Naval Academy from that state. He served as the first commanding officer of the destroyer {{USS|Livermore|DD-429|6}} upon its launch in 1940. After his appointment, he advocated the diversification of the American Samoan economy. He also helped to increase the level American Samoan self-government, and was the first governor to serve alongside a Samoan legislature, the American Samoa Fono.
Life
Huber was born on August 28, 1899, in Philadelphia, Illinois, to parents Herbert Oliver and Nelle Davis Huber.{{cite web|title=Captain Vernon Huber|url=http://americansamoa.gov/governors/captain-vernon-huber|work=Governors|publisher=Government of American Samoa|access-date=17 May 2010|year=2010}} On December 27, 1927, he married Ida Brown. Upon arriving at the El Camino Hospital in Los Altos, California, on June 16, 1967, Huber was pronounced dead.
Naval career
Huber was appointed to the United States Naval Academy on July 17, 1918.{{cite book|title=Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps and Reserve Officers on Active Duty|year=1920|publisher=United States Government Printing Office|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_XDEoAAAAMAAJ|quote=vernon huber.|access-date=17 May 2010|location=Washington, D.C.|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_XDEoAAAAMAAJ/page/n271 265]}} He was the first commander of the destroyer {{USS|Livermore|DD-429|6}} upon its launch in 1940.{{cite news|title=New Destroyer Commissioned|newspaper=The New York Times|date=8 October 1940|agency=Associated Press|location=New York City|page=14}}
Governorship
On August 22, 1947, Huber relieved Harold Houser and took the office of Governor of American Samoa. His assistant governor was Ralph Ramey.{{cite news|last=Korman|first=Seymour|title=In Samoa the People Now Rule Chiefs|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|publisher=Tribune Company|date=20 February 1949|location=Chicago, Illinois|pages=1–2}}
Huber supported the opening of a cannery by famed aviator Harold Gatty, believing it would help diversify the American Samoan economy.{{cite news|last=Lovelace|first=Douglas|title=Famed Flier Gatty Wants Fish Cannery|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cZU0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=SWgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=7153,2789206&dq=vernon-huber&hl=en|access-date=17 May 2010|newspaper=The Lewiston Daily Sun|date=2 August 1948|publisher=Lewiston Daily Sun|location=Lewiston, Maine|page=2}}
During his term, the Samoans moved towards greater self-government. Under Huber's encouragement, the legislature of the territory, the American Samoa Fono, convened for the first time.{{cite book|last=Sunia|first=Fofó Iosefa Fiti|title=The Story of the Legislature of American Samoa|year=1998|publisher=American Samoa Fono|isbn=982-9008-01-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3pKOAAAAMAAJ&q=%22vernon+huber%22|access-date=17 May 2010|location=American Samoa|page=68|author-link=Fofó Iosefa Fiti Sunia}} As governor, Huber maintained certain powers over the legislature, including the power of veto.{{cite news|title=Samoas to Get New Government|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=guorAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XmcFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1680,693218&dq=vernon-huber&hl=en|newspaper=Kentucky New Era|date=15 September 1948|agency=Associated Press|location=Hopkinsville, Kentucky|page=5}} This reversed the previous position of Governor Otto Dowling, who had claimed an act of the United States Congress would be required to form a legislature. He ceded the office to Thomas Francis Darden Jr. on June 15, 1949.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Governors of American Samoa}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huber, Vernon}}
Category:People from Cass County, Illinois
Category:Governors of American Samoa
Category:United States Navy admirals
Category:United States Navy personnel of World War I
Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II
Category:United States Naval Academy alumni