Jorge Luis Córdova Díaz (April 20, 1907 – September 16, 1994) served as

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

's 11th

Resident Commissioner Resident commissioner was or is an official title of several different types of commissioners, who were or are representatives of any level of government. Historically, they were appointed by the British Crown in overseas protectorates (such a ...

from 1969 to 1973. His father,

Félix Córdova Dávila Félix Lope María Córdova Dávila (November 20, 1878 – December 3, 1938) was a political leader and judge from Puerto Rico who served as Puerto Rico's fourth Resident Commissioner in Congress and later as an associate justice of the Supre ...

, had served as Puerto Rico's fourth Resident Commissioner from 1917 to 1932.

Biography

Born in

Manatí, Puerto Rico Manatí () is a Manatí barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality of Puerto Rico on the northern coast. It is north of Morovis, Puerto Rico, Morovis and Ciales, Puerto Rico, Ciales, east of Florida, Puerto Rico, Florid ...

, Córdova was a 1924 graduate of St. John's College High School in

Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

. He attained his B.A. in 1928 from

Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Catholic research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is one of two pontifical universities of the Catholic Church in the United States – the only one that is not primarily a ...

, and his LL.B. in 1931 from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

. He was a lawyer in private practice. He served as a Superior Court judge in San Juan from 1940 to 1945. He served as an associate justice of the

Supreme Court of Puerto Rico The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico () is the highest court of Puerto Rico, having judicial authority to interpret and decide questions of Puerto Rican law. The Court is analogous to one of the state supreme courts of the states of the United State ...

from 1945 to 1946.

Congress

Córdova was unexpectedly elected, as the New Progressive Party candidate for Resident Commissioner, for a four-year term (1969–1973) that spanned the Ninety-First and Ninety-Second Congress. His victory as gubernatorial candidate Luis A. Ferré's running mate, was unexpected since the Popular Democratic Party had ruled Puerto Rico for 28 consecutive years. Although a Republican, he sat with the Democrats in caucus. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1972, and became a business executive.

Later career

Prior to Córdova's death, then-Senator

Kenneth McClintock Kenneth Davison McClintock-Hernández (born January 19, 1957) is a politician who served as the twenty-second Secretary of State of Puerto Rico, one of the four longest serving in that post. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton’s N ...

authored legislation, signed by Governor

Pedro Rosselló Pedro Juan Rosselló González (; born April 5, 1944) is a Puerto Rican physician and politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001. He was President of the New Progressive Party from 1991 to 1999 and 2003 to 2008, an ...

, that created the Córdova Congressional Internship Program honoring Córdova Díaz and his father and Congressional predecessor,

. The program allows 40 college students to spend a semester-long internship in the United States Congress every year. Since its inception, over 600 students have participated in the program which is run by The Washington Center for Academic Internships and Scholarships and a joint committee of Puerto Rico's Legislative Assembly, chaired for many years by McClintock and currently chaired by senator

Melinda Romero Donnelly Melinda Kathleen Romero Donnelly (born October 8, 1971) is a Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican politician, and former Senate, senator and Legislator, Representative for the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico, New Progressive Party (PNP). She is ...

Death

He died on September 16, 1994, at his home

Guaynabo, Puerto Rico Guaynabo (, ) is a Guaynabo barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the northeastern coastal plain of Puerto Rico. Located west of the capital San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan, east of Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Bayam� ...

at the age of 87.

Notes

Sources