Ricardo Alegria
| Ricardo Alegría | |
|---|---|
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| Born | April 14, 1921 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Died | July 7, 2011 (aged 90) San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Nationality | Puerto Rican |
| Occupation | cultural anthropologist and archeologist |
| Spouse(s) | Carmen Pons |
| Children | Ricardo |
Ricardo E. Alegría Gallardo (April 14, 1921 – July 7, 2011) was a Puerto Rican scholar, cultural anthropologist and archeologist known as the "father of modern Puerto Rican archaeology".
Ricardo Alegría was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he received his primary and secondary education. His father, José S. Alegría, was a former Vice President and founding member of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party. It was Alegría's father who instilled him with a sense of love and pride for Puerto Rico, its history, and culture. In 1941 at the University of Puerto Rico, together with Yamil Galib, Alegría founded a new fraternity, Alpha Beta Chi. In 1942, Alegría earned his Bachelor of Science degree in archeology from the University of Puerto Rico. He continued his academic education in the University of Chicago where in 1947 he earned his master's in Anthropology and History. In 1954, Alegría earned his Ph.D (doctorate) in Anthropology from Harvard University.
Alegría was named the first director of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture by Luis Muñoz Marín, Puerto Rico's first elected governor. He was responsible for the creation of the "Archaeological Center of Investigation of the University of Puerto Rico"(UPR). Alegría also created the "Center of Popular Arts of the Puerto Rican Cultural Institute", the program of publication of books of the institute, and created the logo for the Institute of Neurobiology in Puerto Rico.
Alegría was responsible for the renovation and restoration of historical Old San Juan under the leadership of then San Juan mayor Felisa Rincón de Gautier. He is also responsible for the restoration of the ruins of "Caparra" and "Fort San Jeronimo". As a result of his work "Old San Juan" was declared a "Historical World Treasure". In 1976, Alegría opened the "Center of Advanced Studies of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean". In 1992, he established the "Museum of the Americas".
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