Felisa Rincón de Gautier
Felisa Rincón de Gautier | |
---|---|
Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
In office January 2, 1947 – January 2, 1969 | |
Preceded by | Roberto Sánchez Vilella |
Succeeded by | Carlos Romero Barceló |
Personal details | |
Born | Felisa Rincón Marrero January 9, 1897 Popular Democratic Party |
Spouse | Genaro A. Gautier |
Profession | Pharmacist |
Felisa Rincón de Gautier[note 1] (née Marrero; also known as Doña Fela; January 9, 1897 – September 16, 1994) was a Puerto Rican politician who served as the mayor of the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico. She was the first woman to be elected as mayor of a capital city in the Americas.[1]
Early years
Rincón de Gautier was born on January 9, 1897, in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. The oldest of all siblings (Felisa, Josefina, Cecilia, Esilda, Ramón, Rafael, Enrique and Rita), she was politically influenced by her father, attorney Enrique Rincón Plumey, family of an earlier Mayor of Yabucoa.[who?] Her mother, teacher Rita Marrero Rivera, died when she was around 11 years old. However, her father was determined to give her the best education possible. She went to school in Fajardo, Humacao and Santurce although she did not graduate from high school; in the summers she visited her uncle in San Lorenzo where she learned how to prepare medications pharmacy and became a pharmacist.[1] Of Spanish descent; her direct paternal grandfather Francisco Rincón Martín came from Salamanca, Spain.[2]
After her mother died, her father married Mercedes Acha, the mother of her half brother Manuel. Felisa ran the household and raised her younger brothers and sisters.
In the early 20th Century, "there was no welfare on the island; no social department to provide money or clothing or food for the poor (but) no jíbaro would let another jíbaro starve. This was the most important truth she learned. The jíbaros were a people steeped in tradition, the noblest of which was their hospitality" (Ruth Gruber, Felisa Rincon de Gautier: The Mayor of San Juan).
An expert seamstress, Felisa set herself the goal of creating employment in Puerto Rico by launching a local clothing factory. In order to master necessary skills she worked for two years in New York City during the Great Depression, living with relatives, including her sister Josefina.
Upon her return to San Juan, she entered the wholesale/retail business and opened Felisa's Style Shop on Calle Fortaleza in Old San Juan. She also managed a flower shop called Miles de Flores. Throughout her lifetime, she remained closely tied to the Roman Catholic Church as she directed her efforts to raising the standards of living for impoverished Puerto Ricans.
Women's rights activist
Rincón de Gautier was a firm believer in the women's right to vote and was an active participant in the
Marriage and family
In 1940, Rincón de Gautier married the San Juan lawyer Genaro A. Gautier, who served as the Assistant
Political career
In 1946, she was elected mayor of
Rincón worked with Ricardo Alegría to restore and conserve the historical structures of Old San Juan and provided housing and basic services to thousands of people. In 1951, during the Cold War era, she ordered the establishment of the island's first Civil Defense system which was under the directorship of Colonel Gilberto José Marxuach.[6] She often opened City Hall to the public and listened to concerns of the residents of the city. In 1959, San Juan was awarded the All American City Award.[3][4]
Rincón de Gautier started a Christmas tradition, which would be continued every year by the governors of Puerto Rico. On the
Later years
Rincón was mayor of San Juan for 22 years, from 1946 to 1968.
Honors
In both Puerto Rico and the United States, numerous public structures and avenues have been named in honor of Rincón de Gautier. There is a Felisa Rincón de Gautier Museum and a parking lot with the name of Doña Fela on Calle Recinto Sur in Old San Juan.
On May 29, 2014, The Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico honored 12 illustrious women with plaques in the "La Plaza en Honor a la Mujer Puertorriqueña" (Plaza in Honor of Puerto Rican Women) in San Juan. According to the plaques the 12 women, who by virtue of their merits and legacies, stand out in the history of Puerto Rico. Rincón de Gautier was among those who were honored.[10]
In 2019, Felisa Rincón de Gautier was highlighted by MSNBC for her outstanding political and humanitarian accomplishments as a notable American.[11]
On March 14, 2019, The Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA) honored Felisa Rincón de Gautier with the Distinguished Woman award.[12]
Dona Felisa received recognition from multiple governments such as France (Medal of Joan of Arc), Spain (Gold Medal of Honor), and Ecuador (Gold Medal of Honor).
Ancestry
Ancestors of Felisa Rincón de Gautier | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
See also
Notes
- ^ This name uses Spanish marriage naming customs; the first is the maiden family name "Rincón" and the second or matrimonial family name is "Gautier".
References
- ^ a b c d e f Pérez, Jorge (September 16, 2012). "La alcaldesa que trajo la nieve". El Nuevo Día. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
- ^ Enrique Rincon Plumey (shows grandparents names) - mentioned in the record of Maria Esilda Rincon Marrero
- ^ a b c d "Felisa Rincón de Gautier: Official Biography". www.preb.com. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
- ^ a b c d Davila, Hector. "Felisa Rincon de Gautier". www.prboriken.com. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
- ^ "Fundación Felisa Rincón de Gautier Casa Museo San Juan Puerto Rico". www.museofelisarincon.com. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
- ^ "heroe del 65 Satisfecho de Haber Cumplido su Deber"; El Mundo; May 2, 1952
- ^ "Fundación Felisa Rincón de Gautier Casa Museo San Juan Puerto Rico". www.museofelisarincon.com. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
- ^ Estacionamiento Doña Fela
- ^ "Felisa Rincon de Gautier Museum, San Juan - By Puerto Rico Channel". www.puertorico.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
- ^ La Mujer en nuestra historia
- ^ "#MonumentalAmerican: Felisa Rincón de Gautier". MSNBC.com. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
- ^ "Felisa Rincón De Gautier Distinguished Woman Award – Puerto Rican Arts Alliance". Retrieved 2019-04-03.
- ^ Enrique Rincón Plumey (shows grandparents names) - mentioned in the record of María Esilda Rincón Marrero
- ^ Rita Marrero Rivera - mentioned in the record of Rita María Rincón y Marrero
- ^ Enrique Rincón y Plumey - United States Census, 1910
- ^ Enrique Rincón Plumey - mentioned in the record of Rita María Rincón y Marrero
Further reading
- "Felisa Rincon de Gautier, 97, Mayor of San Juan". New York Times. September 19, 1994.