Antonio Borja Won Pat

Who is Antonio Borja Won Pat?

Antonio Borja Won Pat was a Chamorro educator and politician who became Guam's first delegate to the United States House of Representatives after Congress created the non-voting delegate seat for the territory in 1972. He was elected in 1972 and took office in January 1973, going on to be re-elected repeatedly and serving until 1985, making him a defining figure of Guam's modern political representation in Washington, D.C. Before his congressional career, Won Pat had already built a long record of public service in Guam, including work as an educator and as a member of the Guam Legislature, where he engaged with issues of local governance, education, and Guam's political status as a U.S. territory. As delegate, he worked on legislation affecting Guam's federal relationship, infrastructure, and veterans' and civil-rights issues affecting islanders. In recognition of his decades of public service, Guam's international airport was renamed the Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in his honor.

Sources: United States House of Representatives, History, Art & Archives, "Won Pat, Antonio Borja" biographical entry · Guampedia (University of Guam), "Antonio Borja Won Pat" entry