Maurice Ferré
Maurice Antonio Ferré | |
---|---|
Miami-Dade County Commission District 7 | |
In office May 1, 1993 – January 3, 1997 | |
Preceded by | Constituency established |
Succeeded by | Jimmy Morales |
Personal details | |
Born | Ponce, Puerto Rico | June 23, 1935
Died | September 19, 2019 Miami, Florida, U.S. | (aged 84)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Mercedes Ferré[1] |
Residence(s) | Miami, Florida |
Alma mater | University of Miami |
Occupation | Politician |
Website | ferre2010.com |
Maurice Antonio Ferré (June 23, 1935 – September 19, 2019) was an American politician who served six terms as the
Early years
Ferré was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He was the son of businessman José Ferré and nephew of governor of Puerto Rico Luis A. Ferré (1904–2003). Ferre's father José visited Miami, Florida in the 1920s and wondered why the city did not have any tall buildings.[2] He then ventured into construction and real estate development in Miami. Ferré was born when José and his family returned to their hometown, Ponce in Puerto Rico. Ferré was a graduate of the University of Miami.
Ferré served in the
From 1993 to 1993, Ferré served in the Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners and was Vice-Chairman of the Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners. He was active in national political campaigns, and was a member of several presidential advisory boards. Ferré also worked as a banker and business consultant, and held various research and teaching posts.
On December 20, 1995, Francisco Ferré Malaussena, Mariana Gómez de Ferré, and Felipe Antonio Ferré Gómez, the son, daughter-in-law, and grandson of Ferré, died when American Airlines Flight 965 crashed into a mountain in Colombia.[4][5]
Ferré ran for mayor of Miami-Dade County in 1996, finishing in third against fellow Commissioners Alex Penelas and Arthur Teele. Ferré won 20% and did not make it to the runoff.[6]
In November 2001, Ferré lost his bid to be reelected Mayor of Miami.[7]
Ferré attempted his second run for mayor of Miami-Dade County in 2004; however, he won only 17.76% of the vote, and did not make the run-off.[8]
Later years
Ferré was on a fellowship at
In October 2009, Ferré announced that he was running for the open
Ferré is sometimes referred to as the "father of modern-day Miami." To pay tribute to him and his legacy, a park district in Miami, formerly called Museum Park, was named after him in early 2019.[12][13][14]
Ferré died in Miami on September 19, 2019, from spinal cancer. He was 84 years of age.[15][16]
See also
References
- ^ "MAURICE A. FERRE AND MERCEDES M. FERRE v. CITY NATIONAL BANK MIAMI | District Court of Appeal of Florida | 07-25-1989 | www.anylaw.com". August 22, 2022. Archived from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
- ^ The Ferre Family: Puerto Rican by Birth, Yanqui in Spirit Archived February 25, 2006, at archive.today
- ^ House counties myfloridahouse.gov [dead link]
- ^ "The List of the 164 People on Flight 965," The New York Times
- U.S. Government Printing Office
- ^ "Our Campaigns - Dade County Mayor - Primary Race - Sep 02, 1996". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
- ^ "Ego Without End Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine." Miami New Times.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - Miami-Dade County Mayor Race - Aug 31, 2004". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
- ^ "Puerto Rico's political status". Retrieved June 29, 2023.
- ^ "Kendrick Meek's primary challenge emerges | Florida politics blog: The Buzz | Tampa Bay Times". Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2009.
- ^ 2010 United States Senate election in Florida
- ^ "Maurice A. Ferre Park". www.miamigov.com. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
- ^ "23-Acre Park in Downtown Miami Dedicated to Former Mayor Maurice Ferre". January 31, 2019.
- ^ Viglucci, Andres (September 19, 2019). "Former mayor Maurice Ferré, considered the father of modern-day Miami, dies at 84". Miami Herald. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- ^ Mazzei, Patricia (September 19, 2019). "Maurice Ferré, Miami's First Hispanic Mayor, Dies at 84". The New York Times.
- ^ "Former Miami mayor Maurice Ferré is dead | Miami Herald". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on September 20, 2019.