William Vitarelli

William V. Vitarelli
Vitarelli in 1974
Born	(1910-10-21)October 21, 1910 New York, New York
Died	January 19, 2010(2010-01-19) (aged 99) Haiku, Hawaii
Nationality	American
Other names	Vit, Rubak
Education	Teachers College, Columbia University
Occupation	Educator, architect, woodworker
Years active	1948–1970

William Vincent "Vit" Vitarelli (October 21, 1910 – January 19, 2010), also referred to as Rubak in Palau, was an American educator and architect. He worked for the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) from 1948 to 1970. He was stationed in various islands in Micronesia, including Palau and Ebeye, and participated in various educational and community development projects.

Vitarelli was born on October 21, 1910 in New York City's Greenwich Village to parents of Italian ancestry. He gained an early interest in woodworking; attending four years of college to earn certification to teach high school shop. During his college years, he attended Newark Teachers College, Columbia University, Temple University, and University of Pennsylvania (1938–44). He attended Columbia University Teachers College and studied community development and architecture, earning a doctoral degree in 1953.

Vitarelli joined the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) and was employed as a teacher on Koror. He was fired in 1954 during the McCarthy era on loyalty-security grounds. He was accused of associating with alleged supporters of the Communist Party USA, reading some communist publications, and being a member of the socialist American Labor Party. He eventually took this before the U.S. Supreme Court in the case Vitarelli v. Seaton. Vitarelli won the case after a two-year battle and returned to Micronesia in his previous position at the TTPI.