Alfonso Valdés Cobián
Alfonso Valdés Cobián | |
---|---|
Puerto Rican | |
Occupation(s) | industrialist, banker, sportsman and politician |
Spouse | Grace García |
Notes | |
Valdés Cobián was the cofounder of Cervecería India, Inc., currently Puerto Rico's largest beer brewery. He served as Senator in the Puerto Rican Senate. He was also the owner of the "Indios de Mayagüez" (Mayagüez Indians), a basketball team. |
Alfonso Valdés Cobián
Early years
Valdés Cobián was born in
The family returned to Puerto Rico and in 1910, his father, Ramón Valdés founded and organized the "Mayaguez Light, Power and Ice Company", a utility in the city of
Cervecería India
Mayagüez is known as "La Ciudad de las Aguas Puras" (The City of the Pure Waters) because of the quality of its waters. The nickname originated because of the quality of the waters from the Yagüez River. The word "Yagüez" is Taino for "Place of pure and clear waters" .[3] Valdés Cobián's brother Sabino, took a sample of the waters of Mayagüez to the Wallestein Laboratory in New York which confirmed the quality of the waters for the elaboration of beer.[1]
Valdés Cobián and his brothers, Sabino and Ramón decided to build a brewery in Mayagüez and on November 2, 1937, they founded the Compañía Cervecera de Puerto Rico which was later renamed Cervecería India. The company competed with two other native beer breweries, "Real" and "Corona". Corona would later be launched in Mexico.[4] Valdés Cobián, as chairman and president, successfully led his company converting it into Puerto Rico's largest beer brewery and manufacture of canned and bottled soft drinks.[1]
Besides his chairmanship of Cervecería India, Valdés Cobián held the
Team owner
Valdés Cobián was a founder of the Puerto Rican winter baseball league and owned the
Politician
Valdés Cobián was elected in 1917 to the
Later years
In 1960 he was president of the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association.[7] Valdés Cobián lived in Villa Caparra, a San Juan suburb. On February 8, 1988, Valdés Cobián died in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after suffering a heart attack two days earlier, at the age of 98. Valdés Cobián was buried in Bayamón's Porta Coeli Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, Grace García, whom he married on August 14, 1939, two daughters, Grace Marie, Encarnita Quinlan and a son, Alfonso Jr., and five grandchildren.[2] After his death, his wife became the president of brewery until her retirement in 2002, when her granddaughter, Camalia Valdés assumed the presidency of the company.
Legacy
The City of Mayagüez honored his memory by naming the street where the Cervecería India Inc. is located Avenida (Blvd.) Alfonso Valdez.[8]
See also
- Cervecería India
- Indios de Mayagüez
- List of Puerto Ricans
Notes
- Spanish name, the first or paternal surnameis Valdés and the second or maternal family name is Cobián.
References
- ^ a b c Guía del Turismo en Mayagüez, Clásico de Mayagüez "La Cervecería India", (Spanish)
- ^ a b c d e "New York Times; Published: February 14, 1988". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
- ^ Mayaguez Archived 2009-02-12 at the Wayback Machine, (Spanish)
- ^ "Historia de una cerveza nativa". El Nuevo Dia (in Spanish). April 20, 2008. Archived from the original on January 14, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
- ^ "Popular se agiganta" - Primera Hora, (Spanish)
- ^ Historia Beisbol de Puerto Rico Archived 2008-03-16 at the Wayback Machine, (Spanish)
- ^ "About Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association". Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
- ^ "Company profile". Archived from the original on 2009-03-25. Retrieved 2009-01-13.