Arthur Yager

Arthur Yager as Governor of Porto Rico circa 1919

Arthur Yager (October 29, 1858 – December 24, 1941) served as Governor of Puerto Rico from 1913 to 1921.

Yager was born in Campbellsburg, Henry County, Kentucky. A Democrat, he was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson, who had been a classmate when both attended Johns Hopkins University. Yager served until Wilson's presidency expired, and was succeeded by Emmet Montgomery Reily, an appointee of President Warren G. Harding.

During Yager's administration, the United States Congress adopted the Jones-Shafroth Act (also called Jones Act) of 1917, which conferred United States citizenship on Puerto Ricans. A collection of Yager's correspondence from his time as Governor is archived at the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, Kentucky and open for research.

Prior to his service in Puerto Rico, Yager served as President of Georgetown College in Kentucky from 1908 to 1913, and before that taught history and politics at the college.

Yager died in Pewee Valley, Kentucky at the age of 83.

[edit] References

Noah Huffman, "Arthur Yager:President of Georgetown College (1908-1913) and Governor of Puerto Rico (1913-1921)", Filson Historical Society Newsmagazine", vol. 6, no. 3 (2006), available online at [1].
"Dr. Arthur Yager; Served as Governor of Puerto Rico for 8 years After 1913" (obituary), New York Times, Dec. 25, 1941, p. 25.
Arthur Yager, "Twenty Years of Progress in Porto [sic] Rico under the American Flag" (San Juan 1919).