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William Gilmer

Naval governor of Guam (1863–1955)

PersonDied aged 91humanQ8009895

Also known as William Wirt Gilmer

Born: May 21, 1863
Died: January 8, 1955
Birthplace: Chatham
Place of death: Fletcher
Occupation: military officer
Positions held: Governor of Guam(1919–1920)
, Governor of Guam(1918–1919)
Education: United States Naval Academy

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

William Wirt Gilmer was a United States Navy Captain who served as both the 22nd and 24th Naval Governor of Guam. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he commanded the USS South Carolina during World War I, for which he received the Navy Cross. During his two terms as governor, he proved one of the most contentious leaders in Guam's history. He exercised a large amount of control over islanders' daily lives, including banning whistling and smoking and setting up a curfew. He came into conflict with prominent Americans and Washington Naval leaders when he outlawed marriage between whites and non-whites on the island, believing the Chamorro people inferior. Eventually, concerned islanders gained the attention of Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, who had Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt personally order the rescinding of the act. Gilmer was removed for a short time before serving a second term.

Overview

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18 statements · 0% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

Sex or gender: male
Military branch: United States Navy
Given name: William
Family name: Gilmer

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Source last edited July 29, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

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AIDB. (2026). William Gilmer (Q8009895). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/william-gilmer-Q8009895