William Elbridge Sewell.

About William Elbridge Sewell

William Elbridge Sewell was a United States Navy Lieutenant Commander and the 6th Naval Governor of Guam from February 9, 1903, until he returned to the mainland United States for medical treatment on January 11, 1904. He was born in Colchester, New York, and appointed to the United States Naval Academy from that state in 1867. He served on numerous ships before becoming an ensign, and eventually became executive officer or commanding officer of a series of ships and installations. He then became commanding officer of the Guam flagship, and soon after, governor of Guam. As governor, he initiated a series of tax and legal reforms, including many that restored the rights of the native population to practice their culture more freely. He legalized and taxed alcohol and set up a court system that lasted 30 years. In January 1904, he fell ill from intestinal troubles and was transported to California for treatment, where he died while still in office.