Don José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín

Don 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,"[1][2] 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. Don Luis Munoz Marin was a major figure in promoting Democracy in Latin America.

Contents [hide]

1 Early life and education

1.1 Childhood

1.2 Poetry and ideological contrasts

2 Marriage and family

3 Formation of political ideas

4 Political career

4.1 Senator

4.2 President of the Senate

4.3 Passage of Law 53 (the Gag Law)

4.4 World War II

4.5 Governor

5 Later years

5.1 Retirement

6 Legacy and honors

7 Quotations

8 Ancestors of Luis Muñoz Marín

9 Political succession

10 See also

11 References

12 External links

13 Further reading

Early life and education[edit]

Childhood[edit]

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.[3] His father was elected to serve as Secretary of State of Puerto Rico and Chief of the Cabinet for the independent Government of Puerto Rico.

On August 12, 1898, Puerto Rico was annexed by the United States following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War. Luis's father assisted in establishing an insular police force, but opposed the military colonial government that was 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 and, in 1910, as Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, serving the island as a representative in Washington, D.C. from 1911 until his death in 1916.

Muñoz Marín's great-grandfather, Luis Muñoz Iglesias, was born on October 12, 1797, in Palencia, Spain. At age 14, he abandoned medical school to join the Spanish Army and battle Napoleon Bonaparte's French Army who had invaded Spain in 1808, in what would become known as the Peninsular War. Afterwards he decided to make his career in the army and was awarded decorations after fighting against Simón Bolívar during the Admirable Campaign. 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.[4][5]

When Muñoz Marín was three years old, a group of statehood supporters broke into the El Diario's building and vandalized most of the equipment.[6] Following this incident, the family moved to Caguas. After receiving further threats from the statehood movements, the family moved to New York City.[6] There Muñoz Marín learned English, while his father founded the bilingual newspaper, Puerto Rico Herald. During the following years, the family frequently traveled between both locations.[7] His father founded the Unionist Party in Puerto Rico, which won the election in 1904. Following the party's victory, his father was elected as a member of the House of Delegates.[7]

Luis Muñoz Marín began his elementary education at William Penn Public School in Santurce, a district of San Juan.[8] Most classes

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