The 18th Virgin Islands Board of Education (VIBE) is commemorating the birthdate of one of the icons of Virgin Islands education, Claude O. Markoe. The board believes it is important to recognize and commemorate those people who have shaped the educational process in the V.I. Often, generations of our children pass through these public schools and have no idea who the buildings were named after or why. VIBE is attempting to provide a sense of history and assure the children that affording them a quality education was a conscious decision that was made many years before they were born.
Born on St. Croix on Sept. 30, 1900, Claude O. Markoe is recognized as an outstanding teacher who devoted his life to education on the island of his birth. A product of the local educational system, he earned a Bachelor’s Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico in 1922.
His service in the local education system spanned a period of 30 plus years. He served as a teacher for 19 of those years. He later served as principal of the Frederiksted Jr. High School from 1922 – 1941. During his administration he focused on curriculum improvements, faculty and staff development, and student personal growth. In 1985, he was inducted into the Virgin Islands Education Hall of Fame.
Markoe retired from the principalship of the Christiansted High School. After leaving the profession, he devoted his time to numerous civil, church and charitable activities. He was the recipient of many awards and honors, including recognition from the Legislature of the Virgin Islands. In his later years, he established the Markoe Insurance Company. Listed among his affiliates are the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, Caribbean Light Lodge (Freemasons), Boy Scouts and more.
VIBE asks that the public join it in remembering Claude O. Markoe’s contributions and honoring his memory.
