William Vitarelli with a woman and baby, c. 1967-1969
Ebeye, Marshall Islands
Photograph by Robert Wenkam

William Vitarelli, known in Palau as Rubak, was an American educator and architect for the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Between 1949 and 1970, he was stationed in the Marshall Islands, Palau, and Saipan. Throughout his career, Vitarelli organized a wide variety of educational and community development projects while advocating for locals’ rights.

Trust Territory Photo Archives, University of Hawaii-Manoa Library.