The U.S. Census Bureau is proud of its history of continually evolving 

to ensure an accurate count of the people of the United States. For 

this reason, the Census Bureau has always embraced the hiring of a 

diverse workforce representative of the local communities. From the 

beginning of our country’s history to the middle of the 20th century,

the United States has expanded not only westward, but also 

outward, including into the nearby Caribbean. Some acquisitions, like 

those of Cuba and Puerto Rico, resulted from military action, while 

we acquired others, like the U.S. Virgin Islands, through purchases. 

While conducting censuses in these new territories, census officials 

generally relied on local superivsors and census takers, who had the 

trust, knowledge, and experience needed to work with their

communities.

Wilfred Ethelbert Messer was born on November 22, 1894, on the 

island of St. Croix, in what was then the Danish West Indies. Wilfred’s parents, Peter and Christine, 

fished the ocean, while his older sisters, 

Leonara and Delma, worked as seamtresses, 

which allowed Wilfred and his five younger 

siblings to attend school. An eager student, 

Wilfred quickly conquered the modest 

schooling available on St. Croix and began 

taking correspondence courses for several 

subjects, most notably the Boyd Shorthand 

method. In 1910, Wilfred began working as a 

teacher, and as his correspondence education 

progressed, he eventually became a clerk in the 

education department.

In 1917, after overtures dating back to 1867, the 

United States purchased the Virgin Islands from 

Denmark. This helped the United States establish a

forward naval base during World War I, while the 

Danish no longer had to worry about a territory with a 

fickle economy. To better understand the new 

territory, one of the first tasks undertaken by the 

United States was a census. Based on past 

experiences, the Census Bureau knew that the quickest 

way to get competent, trustworthy, and knowledgeable workers was to hire local teachers. The 

census was delayed from November to December in 1917, in part due to transportation problems. As 

a result, the teachers, including Wilfred, started the enumeration of St. Croix on December 31, 1917, 

during the holiday break.

Census Taker and Civil Servant 

The Rotarian, Vol. 110, No. 2 (February 1967).

Wilfred and his family’s 1917 Census.

Wilfred listed as an enumerator for the 1917 
In addition to counting the people of the Virgin 

Islands, the 1917 Census also covered manufactures, 

agriculture, and fisheries, as well as asked special 

questions on wages and hours worked. During the 

census, which ended on January 12, 1918, Wilfred 

counted 766 people in his enumeration district.

Due to the special census in 1917, the Census Bureau did not include the Virgin Islands in the 

decennial census in 1920. However, starting in 1930, the Virgin Islands have been included in the 

decennial count, and Wilfred continued to work as an enumerator for both the 1930 and 1940 

censuses. Throughout Wilfred’s census experience, he saw the population in his city of Christiansted, 

decrease from 4,574 in 1917 to 3,767 in 1930 and then rebound to 4,495 in 1940. The 1940 Census 

also included the first Census of Housing. Enumerators had conducted this survey on a separate form

because Congress had approved it late in the decennial planning process. If enumerators could not 

gather the information during their initial visit, they would do so shortly thereafter.

Another major innovation of the 1940 

Census was the use of advanced statistical 

techniques, including probability 

sampling, which before had been used 

only on an experimental basis. Sampling 

in the 1940 Census allowed the addition 

of a number of demographic questions 

without unduly increasing the overall 

burden on respondents and on data 

processing. In 1917, Wilfred asked 21 

questions of all members of the 

population; in 1930, 32 questions; and in 

1940, 34 questions on the population 

survey, with an additional 16 questions asked to only 5 percent of the population. Despite these 

increases, probability sampling made it possible to publish preliminary results 8 months ahead of the 

complete tabulations. Additionally, it allowed the Census Bureau to increase the number of detailed 

tables published, as well as review the quality of the data processing with more efficiency.

Following his census work in 1940, Wilfred left the education department and continued in the 

federal service when he became court clerk for the St. Croix district court. He continued in that 

position for 22 years before retiring on December 31, 1962. In addition to his public service, Wilfred 

also enjoyed raising and breeding livestock, including cattle, horses, and other animals. After 

acquiring a farm on the island of St. Johns, he worked his way up from amateur to expert over the 

decades, and raised several prized racehorses. Wilfred played cornet in his youth, sang for several 

decades in his church choir, and occasionally appeared in locally produced musicals.

Wilfred married Daphne Lange in 1920, and they remain married until she passed away after 42

years. They raised a large family of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, to whom Wilfred 

was known as “Papetes.” 

Wilfred also participated in several civic and social 

organizations, including the Society of the Friends of Denmark, 

the Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Rotary 

Club, the Red Cross, and served as a member of the local Select 

Service Board. His public service was considered so remarkable 

that, after his death on February 11, 1976, the representative 

from the Virgin Islands officially honored him in the U.S. House 

of Representatives. The Census Bureau is grateful for Wilfred’s 

lifelong dedication to public service, our country, and our 

agency.

Excerpt from the 1917 Census of the Virgin Islands.

Part of the address to the U.S. House of 

Representatives honoring Wilfred in 1976.

The questions from Wilfred’s schedules from 1917, 1930, and 1940.

HB-19-0008