Efrén Pérez Rivera

Efrén Pérez Rivera (March 10, 1929 – May 15, 2011) was a Puerto Rican environmentalist leader and college professor.

Efrén Pérez Rivera was born on March 10, 1929 at Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, where he lived during his first years. At the age of four, he moved with his family to Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. He attended the College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts (known today as the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez), obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Biology in 1952. Pérez later became a professor of Biology and Chemistry at the Peñuelas High School.

Pérez did his obligatory military service during the Korean War, during which he was stationed in Hawaii.

In 1953, he worked at the Agricultural Experimental Station at both Isabela and Lajas. He later obtained a Master's degree in Environmental Health from the Tropical School of Medicine at San Juan.

During the 1960s, Pérez became a member of Cabo Rojo’s Credit and Savings Cooperative(Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito de Cabo Rojo) and joined its Education Committee. As a member of this committee, he visited the communities of Cabo Rojo and worked to make the public aware of the philosophy and advantages of the cooperative movement. Also, he was the president of the Supervision Committee. During the first half of the 1970s, he worked in the Cooperative Development Administration. In December 1977 he obtained a Master's degree in Horticulture from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. He then went on to become a professor in the College of Agricultural Science from that institution. During this time, he also took an active role in the organization of Cabo Rojo’s Cooperative Pharmacy (Farmacia Cooperativa de Cabo Rojo) and became the president of its Board of Directors.

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