Luis A. Ferré
Luis Ferré | |
|---|---|
Juan J. Cancel Ríos | |
| Succeeded by | Miguel Hernández Agosto |
| Governor of Puerto Rico | |
| In office January 2, 1969 – January 2, 1973 | |
| Preceded by | Roberto Sánchez Vilella |
| Succeeded by | Rafael Hernández Colón |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Luis Alberto Ferré-Aguayo February 17, 1904 Ponce, Porto Rico (now Puerto Rico) |
| Died | October 21, 2003 (aged 99) San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Resting place | Cementerio Las Mercedes in Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Political party |
|
| Other political affiliations | Republican |
| Spouses | |
| Children | |
| Education | |
Early life
Luis Alberto Ferré Aguayo was born in the southern city of
Ferré studied mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, obtaining his bachelor's degree in 1924 and master's degree in 1925, and music at the New England Conservatory of Music. While at MIT he was part of the Army ROTC.[5] While living in Boston, Ferré developed an admiration for the "American way of democracy".[6]
Industrialist
Upon his return to Puerto Rico, Ferré helped transform his father's company into a successful business from which he earned a fortune. In 1948, he acquired El Día, a fledgling newspaper that was later renamed El Nuevo Día, which became the newspaper with the largest circulation in Puerto Rico at the time. In the 1950s, Ferré's Empresas Ferré (Ferre Enterprises) acquired Puerto Rico Cement and Ponce Cement, which capitalized on the economic boom which Puerto Rico enjoyed based on the ambitious industrialization projects undertaken in association with the Operation Bootstrap. Ferré's brother, José, had moved to Miami with his family. His son Maurice expanded a successful business there, selling bagged pre-mixed cement and sand under the name Mezcla Lista. Maurice Ferré was elected Mayor of Miami.
Political life
Ferré became active in politics in the 1940s. He unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Ponce in 1940 and
Representative
In 1948, Puerto Ricans were allowed to elect their governor; previously the position was filled by appointment by the United States president. Luis Muñoz Marín was elected governor of Puerto Rico. A movement began which aimed to adopt a commonwealth relationship with the United States of America. In 1951, a referendum was held to decide whether to approve or not the option granted by the United States Congress to draft Puerto Rico's first constitution. Ferré abstained from participating in the process; the pro-statehood party to which he belonged favored the 1951 referendum. He believed that the process would mean "an acceptance of a colony and condemn the people to a perpetual condition of second class citizenship". Ferré later participated in the constitutional assembly created by the referendum, which drafted the constitution.[7]
In 1952 the
Governor and Senator
On July 23, 1967, a
In the following general election in 1968, Ferré ran for
During Ferré's administration, Puerto Rico was in an economic boom at 7% GDP growth and the unemployment at 10%. His work as governor of Puerto Rico included defending the federal minimum wage and granting workers a Christmas bonus. He visited
During his governorship, he paid special attention to youth affairs and bringing young Puerto Ricans into public service. He successfully had the Puerto Rico Constitution amended to lower the voting age to 18, strongly supported the New Progressive Party Youth organization as party president, appointed then-young statehooders such as
Before the Congress created the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1971, Ferré had already created Puerto Rico's Environmental Quality Board in 1970,[8] charged with protecting the islands' environment.
In the elections of 1972 he sought reelection but lost to
Ferré remained active in politics and in 1976, he was elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico. Ferré served as the eighth president of the Senate from 1977 to 1981 and continued serving as senator until 1985.
Years after leaving La Fortaleza, he married Tiody De Jesús, a nurse who later became a physician.
After serving as senator, Ferré continued to be active in politics, especially representing the
Renaissance man
Ferré was also a talented pianist who recorded several albums of his piano music. On January 3, 1959 he founded the
His philanthropic deeds and defense for democracy earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded by President George H. W. Bush on November 18, 1991.[10]
Death and legacy
On September 29, 2003, Ferré was hospitalized with a
His body lay in state in Puerto Rico's capitol building in San Juan, then transported to his museum in Ponce, before being taken for a state funeral and burial in that city. His funeral and ceremonies honoring him were attended by numerous politicians. He is interred at the Las Mercedes Memorial Park in Ponce.[11]
Among the awards that were bestowed on Luis A. Ferré was the
In 2004 the historic United States Courthouse and Post Office Building in Ponce, Puerto Rico was named the Luis A. Ferré United States Courthouse and Post Office Building by an Act of the U.S. Congress.
The segment of
See also
- Sor Isolina Ferré
- The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon
- List of governors of Puerto Rico
- List of political parties in Puerto Rico
- Politics of Puerto Rico
- List of Puerto Rican Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients
References
- The White House
- ^ a b c d "Luis Ferré, former governor and Corporation member". Massachusetts Institute of Technology. October 29, 2003. Retrieved October 1, 2007.
- ^ Memoir By Rosario Ferré
- ^ "El Boricua, a bilingual, cultural publication for Puerto Ricans". www.elboricua.com.
- ^ "Former Puerto Rican Gov. Luis A. Ferré dies". The Miami Herald. October 22, 2003. Retrieved October 1, 2007.
- ^ "Luis Ferre, prominent Puerto Rican figure, dies". CNN. October 21, 2003. Archived from the original on April 12, 2008. Retrieved October 13, 2007.
- ^ "Falleció el ex gobernador Luis A. Ferré" (in Spanish). Univision. October 22, 2003. Archived from the original on November 9, 2005. Retrieved October 13, 2007.
- ^ Inicio gobierno.pr [dead link]
- ^ Douglas Martin (October 22, 2003). "Luis A. Ferré, Who Pushed Puerto Rican Statehood, Dies at 99". The New York Times. Retrieved October 13, 2007.
- ^ George W. Bush (October 22, 2003). "Statement on Don Luis Ferre". The White House. Retrieved October 13, 2007.
- ^ Conmemoran Natalicio de Don Luis A. Ferré Aguayo.[usurped] February 22, 2011. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
External links