View source for Robert A. Underwood

{{Short description|American politician (born 1948)}}
{{other people|Robert Underwood}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{BLP sources|date=August 2007}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Robert Underwood
| image               = Robert A Underwood USIP 2022 (cropped).jpg
| caption             = Underwood in 2022
| office              = President of the [[University of Guam]]
| term_start          = May 21, 2008
| term_end            = August 5, 2018
| predecessor         = Harold Allen
| successor           = [[Thomas W. Krise]]
| office1             = Delegate to the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]]<br>from [[Guam]]'s [[Guam's at-large congressional district|at-large]] district
| term_start1         = January 3, 1993
| term_end1           = January 3, 2003
| predecessor1        = [[Vicente T. Blaz|Ben Blaz]]
| successor1          = [[Madeleine Bordallo]]
| birth_name          = Robert Anacletus Underwood
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1948|7|13}}
| birth_place         = [[Tamuning]], [[Guam]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| spouse              = {{ubl |{{marriage|Lorraine Aguilar|end=div}} |{{marriage|[[Nerissa Bretania Underwood|Nerissa Bretania]]|2009}}}}
| children            = 5 
| education           = [[California State University, Los Angeles]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]], [[Master of Arts|MA]])<br>[[University of Southern California]] ([[Doctor of Education|EdD]])
}}
'''Robert Anacletus Underwood''' (born July 13, 1948) is an American politician and educator who served as the [[Delegate (United States Congress)|delegate]] from [[Guam]] to the [[United States House of Representatives]] from 1993 to 2003 as a member of the [[Democratic Party of Guam|Democratic Party]]. He subsequently served as the president of the [[University of Guam]] from 2008 to 2018 and is currently a co-chair of the [[United States Institute of Peace]] China-[[Compact of Free Association|Freely Associated States]] Senior Study Group.<ref>{{Cite web |title=China's Influence on the Freely Associated States of the Northern Pacific |url=https://www.usip.org/publications/2022/09/chinas-influence-freely-associated-states-northern-pacific |archive-url=https://archive.today/20221117081149/https://www.usip.org/publications/2022/09/chinas-influence-freely-associated-states-northern-pacific |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 November 2022 |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=United States Institute of Peace |language=en}}</ref>

==Early life==
Underwood was born in [[Tamuning]], Guam. He is the son of John Joseph Underwood (1911–1986) and Esther Flores Taitano (1913–2005). His paternal grandparents were James Holland Underwood and Ana Pangelinan Martinez, from Tamuning, Guam, and his maternal grandparents were Juan San Nicolas Taitano and Rosario Sablan Flores, who resided in [[Dededo, Guam]]. Underwood graduated from Guam's [[John F. Kennedy High School (Guam)|John F. Kennedy High School]] in 1965, and attended [[California State University, Los Angeles]] and the [[University of Southern California]]. He became a high school teacher on the American mainland, and he then served as an instructor at the [[University of Guam]] from 1976 to 1983. Underwood was director of bilingual education assistance for [[Micronesia]] until 1988 and Academic Vice President of the University of Guam until 1992.

In 2009, he married former [[Guam Department of Education]] superintendent Dr. [[Nerissa Bretania Underwood]] during an intimate morning ceremony at the [[Superior Court of Guam]]. His wife is a former senator in [[Guam Legislature]]. Underwood is a regular opinion contributor in the ''Pacific Daily News''.

==Guam Delegate (1993–2003)==
[[File:Robert A. Underwood 105th Congress portrait.jpg|left|thumb|Photograph for the [[105th United States Congress|105th U.S. Congress]], 1997|upright=0.8]]
Underwood served as the Guam Delegate to the [[United States House of Representatives|US Congress]] in the 103rd through 107th Congresses from January 3, 1993 to January 3, 2003 during which he sponsored major legislation for Guam, played an active role in [[US Department of Defense]] authorization bills and was an advocate for political development for insular areas and the extension of educational and social opportunities for Asian Americans and [[Pacific Islanders]]. During his tenure in congress, he became a senior member of both the House Armed Services and Resources committees. He emphasized the importance of Guam and the Asian Pacific region in national strategic policy and worked to enhance the benefits of military personnel, especially those in guard and reserve units.

He passed major legislation for Guam that resolved long standing land disputes with the federal government, brought recognition to Guam's World War II generation and their case for war claims and enhanced local autonomy. Additionally, he built a successful record of bringing in federal funds for military construction, assistance to the government of Guam due to in-migration from surrounding islands and for several education programs.[[Image:President George W. Bush signs H.R. 3908, the Reauthorization of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.jpg|thumb|Underwood (far left) stands by President [[George W. Bush]] and other dignitaries for the signing of a bill.]]Underwood ensured Guam's inclusion in major legislation such as the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that brought domestic telephone rates to Pacific territories, the [[State Children's Health Insurance Program]] and the bill that established the [[Department of Homeland Security]]. He brought recognition to Guam's unique people by lifting the ban on betel nut (pugua) importation into the US Customs Zone, inclusion in the [[National World War II Memorial]], the creation of [[Chamorro Standard Time]] (CST) and participation in national commemorative events.

As a member of the Hispanic and [[Asian Pacific American]] Caucuses, he spoke out for the protection of immigrant rights, educational opportunities and sensitivity to language issues. As chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus in the 106th Congress, he led the effort to include Asian Pacific Americans in scholarship programs, was instrumental in the development of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, spoke out against racial profiling and for including Pacific Islanders as a demographic category in federal programs.

==2002 gubernatorial campaign==
{{main|2002 Guamanian general election}}
Underwood declared his candidacy for the 2002 gubernatorial election and was a candidate in the November 2002 General election. His running mate for Lt. Governor was Senator Thomas "Tom" Ada. Underwood was defeated by [[Felix Perez Camacho]] in the general election on November 3, 2002.

==2006 gubernatorial campaign==
{{main|2006 Guamanian general election}}
Underwood ran again as a Democrat for [[Governor of Guam]] in 2006, with running mate [[Frank Aguon]] for Lieutenant Governor. The Underwood-Aguon team faced former governor [[Carl Gutierrez]] and Senator [[Benjamin Cruz]]. He defeated his main Democratic rival, for the Gutierrez-Cruz team in the primary election on September 2, 2006.<ref>[http://www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060903/NEWS01/60902001/1002 Guam News] {{dead link|date=June 2023|bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> But on November 7, 2006 he was defeated during the general elections when incumbent Republican Governor Felix Perez Camacho, along with his new running mate Lt. Governor-elect Dr. [[Michael Cruz]], was reelected with 50% to 48%.

==UOG president (2008–2018)==
In 2008, Underwood was selected to begin a 5-year term as the tenth president of the [[University of Guam]] and has continued to hold this position as of 2016.<ref>[http://www.uog.edu/administration/office-of-the-president/about-the-president About the President] University of Guam</ref> In June 2018, Underwood retired as President of the University of Guam and was succeeded by Thomas W. Krise.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pncguam.com/uog-presidents-retirement-date-announced/|title=UOG President's retirement date announced|first=Rebecca|last=Elmore|work=PNC News First |date=July 27, 2017}}</ref>

== 2020 congressional election ==
On June 30, 2020, Underwood announced he was [[2020 United States House of Representatives election in Guam|running for Guam Delegate]] to the U.S. House of Representatives against incumbent [[Michael San Nicolas]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/local/2020/06/29/former-delegate-uog-president-robert-underwood-announces-congress-run/3277114001/|title=Former delegate, former UOG President Robert Underwood announces candidacy for Congress|author=Staff Reports|website=Pacific Daily News|date=29 June 2020 }}</ref> In 2020, San Nicolas was re-elected. Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]], Guam cancelled party primaries and all qualified candidates appeared on the November 3 general election ballot. San Nicolas came in first in a three-way race against Underwood and Republican territorial senator Wil Castro, but did not win an outright majority.<ref>{{cite news|title=Final unofficial results, delegate runoff election|author=<!--Daily Post Staff-->|work=Guam Daily Post|date=November 4, 2020|url=https://www.postguam.com/news/local/final-unofficial-results-delegate-runoff-election/article_e353012a-1e1a-11eb-a743-1bb8664a2a94.html|access-date=November 3, 2020}}</ref> In the November 17 runoff, San Nicolas defeated Underwood earning more than 59% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gec.guam.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020ge-results-unofficial.pdf|title=Summary Results Report Guam 2020 Runoff|date=November 17, 2020|access-date=November 17, 2020}}</ref>

== Electoral history ==
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Guam Delegate to the United States House of Representatives election, November 3, 1992<ref name=results>{{cite web|url=http://history.house.gov/Institution/Election-Statistics/Election-Statistics/ |title=Election Statistics, 1920 to Present &#124; US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives |publisher=History.house.gov |date=September 11, 2001 |access-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref>
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |candidate  = '''Robert A. Underwood'''
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |votes      = 18,462
  |percentage = 55.3%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |candidate  = [[Ben Garrido Blaz]] (Incumbent) 
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |votes      = 14,921
  |percentage = 44.7%
}}
{{Election box total no change
  |votes      = 33,383
  |percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box gain with party link no swing|winner=Democratic Party (United States) |loser=Republican Party (United States)}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Guam Delegate to the United States House of Representatives election, November 8, 1994<ref name=results>{{cite web|url=http://history.house.gov/Institution/Election-Statistics/Election-Statistics/ |title=Election Statistics, 1920 to Present &#124; US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives |publisher=History.house.gov |date=September 11, 2001 |access-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref>
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |candidate  = '''Robert A. Underwood (Incumbent)'''
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |votes      = 36,379
  |percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box total no change
  |votes      = 36,379
  |percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box hold with party link without swing|winner=Democratic Party (United States)}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Guam Delegate to the United States House of Representatives election, November 5, 1996<ref name=results>{{cite web|url=http://history.house.gov/Institution/Election-Statistics/Election-Statistics/ |title=Election Statistics, 1920 to Present &#124; US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives |publisher=History.house.gov |date=September 11, 2001 |access-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref>
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |candidate  = '''Robert A. Underwood (Incumbent)'''
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |votes      = 34,395
  |percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box total no change
  |votes      = 34,395
  |percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box hold with party link without swing|winner=Democratic Party (United States)}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Guam Delegate to the United States House of Representatives election, November 3, 1998<ref name=results>{{cite web|url=http://history.house.gov/Institution/Election-Statistics/Election-Statistics/ |title=Election Statistics, 1920 to Present &#124; US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives |publisher=History.house.gov |date=September 11, 2001 |access-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref>
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |candidate  = '''Robert A. Underwood (Incumbent)'''
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |votes      = 34,179
  |percentage = 76.1%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |candidate  = Manuel Q. Cruz
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |votes      = 10,763
  |percentage = 23.9%
}}
{{Election box total no change
  |votes      = 44,942
  |percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box hold with party link without swing|winner=Democratic Party (United States)}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Guam Delegate to the United States House of Representatives election, November 7, 2000<ref name=results>{{cite web|url=http://history.house.gov/Institution/Election-Statistics/Election-Statistics/ |title=Election Statistics, 1920 to Present &#124; US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives |publisher=History.house.gov |date=September 11, 2001 |access-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref>
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |candidate  = '''Robert A. Underwood (Incumbent)'''
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |votes      = 29,099
  |percentage = 78.1%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
  |candidate  = Manuel Cruz
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |votes      = 8,167
  |percentage = 21.9%
}}
{{Election box total no change
  |votes      = 37,266
  |percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box hold with party link without swing|winner=Democratic Party (United States)}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change|title=2020 Guam Delegate general election results<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gec.guam.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020ge-results-unofficial.pdf|title=Summary Results Report|date=November 4, 2020}}</ref>}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change||candidate=[[Michael San Nicolas]] (incumbent)|party=Democratic Party (United States)|votes=13,000|percentage=45.95}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change||candidate=Robert A. Underwood|party=Democratic Party (United States)|votes=9,300|percentage=32.87}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change||candidate=Wil Castro|party=Republican Party (United States)|votes=5,942|percentage=21.00}}
{{Election box write-in with party link no change||votes=51|percentage=0.18}}
{{Election box total no change||votes=28,293|percentage=100.00}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change|title=2020 Guam Delegate election runoff results<ref>{{cite web |title=Summary Runoff Results Report |url=https://gec.guam.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020ge-results-unofficial.pdf |access-date=6 January 2023 |ref=November 17, 2020}}</ref>}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change||candidate=[[Michael San Nicolas]] (incumbent)|party=Democratic Party (United States)|votes=10,467|percentage=59.62}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change||candidate=Robert A. Underwood|party=Democratic Party (United States)|votes=7,090|percentage=40.38}}
{{Election box inline candidate no change||candidate=[[Overvotes]]|party=—|votes=5|percentage=.03}}
{{Election box inline candidate no change||candidate=[[Undervotes]]|party=—|votes=28|percentage=.16}}
{{Election box total no change||votes=17355|percentage=100.00}}
{{Election box end}}

==See also==
*[[List of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the United States Congress]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{wikisource|works=or}}
{{CongLinks|congbio=U000014|fec=H2GU00025|congress=robert-underwood/U000014}}
* {{C-SPAN|28162}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Vicente T. Blaz|Ben Blaz]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Delegate to the [[U.S. House of Representatives]]<br>from [[Guam's at-large congressional district]]|years=1993–2003}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Madeleine Bordallo]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Patsy Mink]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the [[Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus]]|years=1997–2001}}
{{s-aft|after=[[David Wu]]}}
|-
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Carl Gutierrez]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[List of Governors of Guam|Governor of Guam]]|years=[[2002 Guamanian general election|2002]], [[2006 Guamanian general election|2006]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Carl Gutierrez]]}}
|-
{{s-aca}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Harold L. Allen|Harold Allen]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=President of the [[University of Guam]]|years=2008–2018}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Thomas W. Krise]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Guam Delegates}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Underwood, Robert A.}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:20th-century United States representatives]]
[[Category:21st-century Guamanian politicians]]
[[Category:California State University, Los Angeles alumni]]
[[Category:Chamorro people]]
[[Category:Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from Guam]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Guam]]
[[Category:Guamanian Democrats]]
[[Category:Guamanian people of Spanish descent]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:United States representatives of Asian descent]]
[[Category:People from Tamuning, Guam]]
[[Category:Presidents of the University of Guam]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Merit (Philippines)]]
[[Category:USC Rossier School of Education alumni]]