Miguel Hernández Agosto
Manuel Ramos Barroso | |
---|---|
Member of the Senate of Puerto Rico from At-large district | |
In office 1970–1997 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Popular Democratic Party
Democratic | April 5, 1927
Spouse | María Casanova |
Alma mater | University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (BAgr) Michigan State University (MS) University of Michigan Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law (JD) |
Profession | Politician, lawyer |
Miguel Hernández Agosto (April 5, 1927 – March 18, 2016) was a Puerto Rican politician whose service in government spanned several generations. Affiliated with the
Early years and education
Hernández Agosto was born on April 5, 1927, in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico.
Hernández Agosto finished his bachelor studies in agricultural sciences from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez at the age of 19. Next year, he completed a master's degree from Michigan State University, and later a PhD from University of Michigan. In 1970 he earned a juris doctor from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law. Hernández Agosto is a member of the Latino fraternity Phi Iota Alpha, the oldest inter-collegiate Greek-letter organization established for Latino Americans.
Professional career
During his youth, Hernández Agosto served as a science and math teacher at high schools in Humacao and Juncos.
Public service
From 1960 to 1965, Hernández Agosto served as executive director of the Puerto Rico Lands Authority under Gov. Luis Muñoz Marín, who subsequently appointed him as Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture, a position he also held under the governorship of Roberto Sánchez Vilella.
In 1970, he entered elective politics as a senator at-large, filling the vacancy created by the resignation of then-Sen. Muñoz Marín. Two years later, he was elected senator for the
In 1981, after being reelected again, Hernández Agosto became the
Hernández Agosto was president of the Popular Democratic Party from 1978 to 1981, and presided the Committee for the Quincentenary of the discovery of America and Puerto Rico.
At the national level, Hernández Agosto was affiliated with the
Retirement and death
In his final years, Hernández Agosto was a part-time law professor at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law and practiced law. In 2008, he chaired then-Gov. Aníbal Acevedo Vilá's unsuccessful reelection campaign.
Hernández Agosto died on March 18, 2016, at age 88. He was buried at the Los Angeles Memorial Park Cemetery in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Gov. Alejandro García Padilla ordered flags to be raised at half-staff for five days in his honor.[2]
See also
References
- ^ Puerto Rico's leading party fighting move for statehood. Rome News-Tribune. May 30, 1990.
- ^ "Fallece ex presidente del Senado, Miguel Hernández Agosto". Univision. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
External links
- Official Biography from the Senate of Puerto Rico