Luis Muñoz Marín
| Luis Muñoz Marín | |
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Luis Muñoz Marín portrait as President of the Senate
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| 1st Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico | |
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In office January 2, 1949 – January 2, 1965 |
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| Preceded by | Jesus T. Pinero |
| Succeeded by | Roberto Sanchez Vilella |
| President of the Senate of Puerto Rico | |
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In office 1941–1949 |
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| Preceded by | Rafael Martinez Nadal |
| Succeeded by | Samuel R. Quinones |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 18, 1898 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Died | April 30, 1980 (aged 82) |
| Resting place | Mausoleo Luis Munoz Rivera Barranquitas, Puerto Rico |
| Spouse(s) | Muna Lee (married, 1919-1938: divorced) Ines Mendoza (married, 1946-1980: his death) |
| Children | 4 including Victoria |
| Nickname(s) | El Vate (The Bard) |
 You may listen to one of the speeches made in Spanish by Luis Muñoz Marín on YouTube
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José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín (February 18, 1898 – April 30, 1980), known as Luis Muñoz Marín, was a Puerto Rican poet, journalist, politician, and statesman, regarded as the "Father of Modern Puerto Rico" and the "Architect of the Commonwealth."
In 1948 he was the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico, spearheading an administration that engineered profound economic, political and social reforms; accomplishments that were internationally lauded by many politicians, statesmen, political scientists and economists of the period. Marin was instrumental in the destruction of the Nationalist party and its efforts to gain independence.
Luis Muñoz Marín was born on February 18, 1898 at 152 Calle de la Fortaleza in Old San Juan. He was the son of Luis Muñoz Rivera and Amalia Marín Castilla. His father was a poet, publisher, and a politician, responsible for founding two newspapers, El Diario and La Democracia. Days before Luis' birth, his father traveled to Spain to present a proposal of autonomy for Puerto Rico, which was accepted. His father was elected to serve as Secretary of State of Puerto Rico and Chief of the Cabinet for the Government of Puerto Rico.
On October 18, 1898, Puerto Rico was taken by the United States following Spain's defeat in the Spanish–American War. Luis's father assisted in establishing an insular police force, but opposed the military colonial government established by the United States. He resigned from office on February 4, 1899. Later he was elected to the House of Delegates of Puerto Rico. In 1910, he was elected as Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, serving the island as a representative to Congress from 1911 until his death in 1916.
One of Muñoz Marín's paternal great-grandfathers, Luis Muñoz Iglesias, was born on October 12, 1797, in Palencia, Spain. At age 14, he had joined the Spanish Army and battled Napoleon Bonaparte's French Army in the Peninsular War. Afterward he decided to make his career in the army' he was awarded decorations after fighting against Simón Bolívar during the Admirable Campaign of independence in Latin America. Once the conflict was over, he traveled to Puerto Rico along with his commanding officer, Miguel de la Torre. He subsequently settled in a farm in Cidra and married María Escolástica Barrios. One of his great-grandmothers was Rosa Solá, a woman held in slavery by his great grandfather, Vicente Marín.
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Wikipedia