--- alias: - UVI - U.V.I. - University of the Virgin Islands Research and Technology Park - UVI Research and Technology Park - RTPark - RT Park category: Private Organization created: 2026-09-25 location: U.S. Virgin Islands relations: - fn: 3 reverse: true role: president type: head_of with: '[[David Hall (academic)]]' start: 1962 summary: Public land-grant university of the U.S. Virgin Islands whose research park declined Jeffrey Epstein around 2012, while its president kept soliciting him for a medical-school gift and its classes enrolled women connected to him. tags: - Organization - University - VirginIslands - JeffreyEpstein - TaxHaven - StudentVisas - Philanthropy updated: 2026-09-25 --- The University of the Virgin Islands is a public, co-educational, land-grant historically Black university in the [U.S. Virgin Islands](/places/us-virgin-islands/), founded in 1962. Its Research and Technology Park is a territorial tax-incentive vehicle on which [Jeffrey Epstein's](/people/jeffrey-epstein/) lawyer [Erika Kellerhals](/people/erika-kellerhals/) advised clients alongside the [Economic Development Commission](/organizations/economic-development-commission/). In October 2011 [Cecile de Jongh](/people/cecile-de-jongh/), wife of Governor [John de Jongh](/people/john-de-jongh/) and office manager of Epstein's companies, sent Epstein her assessments of candidates for the park's board. In 2013 she arranged the enrollment of women connected to Epstein in the university's English classes while asking what visas they held. In 2023 the university stated that its park and trustees had declined Epstein's approaches around 2011 and 2012 and denied the allegations about the classes; documents released in 2026 showed its president continuing to seek a major gift from Epstein in 2014. The attorney [Henry Smock](/people/henry-smock/), who assisted Epstein's 1998 purchase of [Little St. James](/places/little-st-james/), served for years as counsel to its board.[^1][^2][^3][^4][^5] ### The Research and Technology Park The park operates through the University of the Virgin Islands Research and Technology Park Corporation and a Research and Technology Park Protected Cell Corporation. A blank application and release-authorization packet for the protected cell corporation is among the documents released by the [Justice Department](/organizations/department-of-justice/) from Epstein's files; no Epstein entity is named in it. Kellerhals's firm biography described advising clients "on obtaining economic development incentives from the U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Development Commission and the University of the Virgin Islands Research & Technology Park."[^2][^6] On October 19, 2011 Cecile de Jongh sent Epstein ("JEE") an email profiling candidates for the park's board, annotated in capitals. Of the university's president, David Hall, she wrote, "DO NOT KNOW HIM THAT WELL AND HE IS NEW TO THE VI"; of the university's board chairman, Alex Moorhead, a retired vice president for government affairs of the HOVENSA refinery, "I HAVE KNOWN HIM FOR YEARS - QUIET AND CONSERVATIVE." Three entries, among them that of Smock, a former judge of the Territorial Court, ended with the word "FRIEND." The email closed: "John has two other appointments to make."[^5] In May 2012 Kellerhals raised in an email, regarding Epstein's application to the park, concern that his background "may conflict with the 'guiding principles' of the RT Park." According to the university's later account, "the RTPark board voted not to have a relationship with him," and "the UVI Board of Trustees made the same decision and declined to accept his offer of a major gift." The Economic Development Commission heard the tax-incentive application of Epstein's company [Southern Trust Company](/organizations/southern-trust-company/) on November 15, 2012.[^3][^4][^7] ### The English Classes In May 2013 Cecile de Jongh corresponded with the university's Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Dionne Jackson, about English as a Second Language classes, after Epstein wrote that two women, whose names are redacted in the released exhibits, would sign up. On May 29, 2013 she wrote to Jackson that "the total cost for the course (for up to 10 students) is $8,868 which we will pay. We have two students to enroll," and asked Epstein, "What kind of visas do these ladies currently have?" after a university official told her that an I-20 student visa form was issued only for degree programs. On June 5 she wrote that the women "need to go down and enroll and show the ability to pay. I can draft a letter for them to present. Think about whether you should sign it or one of us," and on June 27 that the university was "structuring the class around the ladies."[^8] The trafficking suit filed against the territory in 2023, Doe 1 v. Government of the United States Virgin Islands, alleged that Cecile de Jongh "Setup ESL classes for other USVI victims," "Obtained I-20 visa for another victim" and received a "$20,000 donation to University for student visas," and listed "University Virgin Islands student visas" in its entry for John de Jongh. The claims against the de Jonghs were dismissed in March 2025 for lack of personal jurisdiction in New York. Hall said in 2023 that he "was not aware of the activities described" and never approved a course for people connected with Epstein.[^8][^9][^10] ### The 2023 Denial and the 2026 Documents On September 29, 2023, responding to reporting based on exhibits in the territory's suit against [JPMorgan Chase](/organizations/jpmorgan-chase/), Hall wrote that "there is absolutely no truth to the allegations stated in court documents filed by JP Morgan Chase," that the university had not "created a special course specifically for people connected with Mr. Epstein," and that "no such funds were received by the University" with respect to a disputed 20,000 dollar figure. He described the park board's vote and the trustees' refusal of Epstein's gift around 2011 and 2012.[^3] Documents released by the Justice Department in 2026 include an August 2012 message asking, "Can he keep meeting with Dr. David Hall tomorrow, Sat. Aug.25th at 10am?" and an April 2014 entry on Epstein's schedule for a "5:30pm Phone Date w/David Hall." In April 2014 Hall wrote to Cecile de Jongh that the trustees had approved moving forward on a medical school and that he had been "authorized... to execute a gift agreement for a major gift that will serve as the foundational gift." In October 2014, after Epstein apparently declined to fund it, Hall wrote to her that the medical school's interim dean "is acquainted with individuals at Harvard who know Jeffrey and he is interested in meeting him." Hall's 2014 employment contract set a base salary of 350,000 dollars and fundraising targets of 22.5 million dollars over five years. A university spokesperson, Tamika Thomas Williams, said the university had "recently obtained historical communications" it had not previously held and had begun an "independent, comprehensive investigation," a step she called "precautionary." Hall could not be reached for comment.[^4] ### Board Counsel and Alumni Smock, who served as counsel to the university's board and to that of the [Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority](/organizations/virgin-islands-economic-development-authority/), was named in 2023 by the former Attorney General [Denise George](/people/denise-george/) as the mediator Governor [Albert Bryan](/people/albert-bryan/) told her to use in settling the territory's case against Epstein's estate. Bryan himself earned an MBA from the university in 2003.[^11][^12] [^1]: University of the Virgin Islands, "History," accessed September 25, 2026 ("Founded in 1962, UVI is a public, co-ed, land-grant HBCU in the United States Virgin Islands"). https://www.uvi.edu/about/history.html [^2]: Kellerhals Ferguson Kroblin PLLC, "Erika Kellerhals," attorney biography, captured August 10, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190810121434/https://www.kellfer.com/attorneys/erika-kellerhals/ [^3]: University of the Virgin Islands, news release reproducing a letter to the editor by President David Hall, September 29, 2023. https://www.uvi.edu/news/2023/23_098_uvi_addresses_false_allegations_editorial.html [^4]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Docs reveal former UVI president's outreach to Epstein for donation to medical school." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 26, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/docs-reveal-former-uvi-presidents-outreach-to-epstein-for-donation-to-medical-school/article_53f1ab08-029d-43e8-9b0a-9e6740b039cb.html [^5]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00720076, DataSet 9, email from Cecile de Jongh to "JEE," October 19, 2011 (duplicate EFTA02035483, DataSet 10). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00720076.pdf [^6]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01221503, DataSet 9, University of the Virgin Islands Research and Technology Park Corporation application and release-authorization packet for the Research and Technology Park Protected Cell Corporation. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01221503.pdf [^7]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02812344, Court Records, Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904 (S.D.N.Y.), Exhibit 290, ECF No. 245-15 (filed July 25, 2023): Economic Development Commission, Public Hearing transcript, November 15, 2012. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02812344.pdf [^8]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Court filings show V.I. First Lady's loyalty to Epstein." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* June 21, 2023 (JPMorgan exhibits: UVI ESL emails of May and June 2013; Hall statement). https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/court-filings-show-v-i-first-ladys-loyalty-to-epstein/article_c2dca0a7-a243-5365-88c0-389c576ad022.html [^9]: Doe 1 v. Government of the United States Virgin Islands, No. 1:23-cv-10301-AS (S.D.N.Y.), Second Amended Complaint, ECF No. 112 (May 24, 2024), chart, pp. 6 to 8. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.610915/gov.uscourts.nysd.610915.112.0.pdf [^10]: Doe 1 v. Government of the United States Virgin Islands, No. 1:23-cv-10301-AS (S.D.N.Y.), Opinion and Order, ECF No. 202 (March 21, 2025). https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.610915/gov.uscourts.nysd.610915.202.0.pdf [^11]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Docs confirm Bryan pressed for special treatment of sex offender." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 2, 2026 (FBI notes of an October 2, 2023 interview with Denise George; Smock as counsel to the university and authority boards). https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/docs-confirm-bryan-pressed-for-special-treatment-of-sex-offender/article_5e9483c9-38d2-406c-8bb0-e5757ce287f2.html [^12]: "Governor Albert Bryan Jr." Biography submitted to the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, hearing of March 24, 2021. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/II/II00/20210324/111384/HHRG-117-II00-Bio-BryanJrA-20210324.pdf