Guam Organic Act of 1950
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The Guam Organic Act of 1950, 48 U.S.C. 1421 et.seq. redesignated the island as an unincorporated territory of the United States, established executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and transferred Federal jurisdiction from the U.S. Navy to the Department of the Interior. Guam, for the first time in nearly three hundred years, became self-governing.
The first bill providing for an Organic Act and U.S. citizenship was introduced on July 15, 1946 by Indiana Rep., Robert A. Grant in the form of H.R. 7044. This provided that Guam be accorded the semi-autonomous status as an Organized territory, with the privilege of sending a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill, however, was never even reported out of committee, as was the fate of all the bills introduced during the 79th Congress.
The Guam Assembly "Walkout"
The issue of local authority came to a head when the Guam Assembly subpoenaed an American civil service employee of the Navy who allegedly knew of an attempt to manipulate Guam's import-export economy. The employee, however, refused to testify, having received unofficial support from Naval Governor Charles Alan Pownall (1949-1953). Angered and frustrated by what they saw as a lack of respect and authority, the Guam Assemblymen walked out en masse on March 6, 1949. Governor Pownall ordered them to return, but when the assemblymen refused, he dismissed them.
This dramatic encounter received international attention and widespread publicity (through the help of Assemblymen Carlos Taitano) that generated a great deal of support for self-government and U.S. citizenship for the people of Guam. Though the Assemblymen were later reinstated by Governor Pownall, U.S. citizenship and some form of self-government had already become a foregone conclusion.
President Truman Steps In
To pacify the island until the U.S. Congress could pass an Organic Act, U.S. President Harry S. Truman, issued Executive Order No. 10077, which stipulated that:
- The administration of the island of Guam is hereby transferred from the Secretary of the Navy to the [[United States Secretary of the Interior|Secretary of the Interior], effective on July 1, 1950.
- The Department of the Navy and the Department of the Interior shall proceed with plans for transfer of administration of the island of Guam as explained in the above mentioned memorandum of understanding.
- When the transfer of administration made by this order becomes effective, the Secretary of the Interior shall take such action as may be necessary and appropriate, and in harmony with applicable law, for the administration of civil government in the island of Guam.
- The executive departments and agencies of the government are authorized and directed to cooperate with the Departments of the Navy and Interior in the effectuation of the provisions of this order.
- The said Executive Order No. 108-A (December 5, 1898) is revoked, effective July 1, 1950.
- "The people of Guam were afforded the opportunity to set and administer policy and laws for the island of Guam."
In accordance with this order, Carlton Skinner, a public relations officer in the Department of Interior, was selected by Interior, nominated by the Navy, and then appointed by President Truman to serve as Guam’s first civilian Governor. He took the oath of office on September 17, 1949.
On October 3, 1949, the House of Public Lands Committee reported that H.R. 4499, containing provisions that later became known as the Organic Act of Guam, would be enacted. Guam, as an Unincorporated territory, was also granted, among other things, some leeway in establishing its judicial branch.