RICARDO J. BORDALLO was born in Agana, Guam. He attended the University of San Francisco and upon his return to Guam became a successful businessman. He was the member of the Guam legislature from 1956 to 1970, serving as minority leader in 1964. He chaired the Democratic Party of Guam from 1960-1963 and 1971-1973. He was elected governor in 1974. During his first term, he pursued the establishment of the Guam National Guard and the Guam Community College. He also secured funding to build the Guam International Airport, the U.S. Army Reserve Center, and recreational facilities at each of the island's villages. In addition, he supervised all territorial government activities during Guam's reconstruction after the supertyphoon Pamela in 1976 and during the Flight to Freedom of thousands of Vietnamese refugees in Operation New Life in 1977. He was reelected in 1982. Bordallo chaired Guam's Commission on Self-Determination, served as chair of Guam's Commission on Self Determination, and was active in a wide range of civic organizations.