José Nazario Dapena Laguna, (28 July 1912 – 20 September 1991) was a
Puerto Rican attorney and
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce (, , , ) is both a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.
Ponce, Puerto Rico's most populated city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, was founded on 12 August 1 ...
, in 1956.
Early years
José Dapena Laguna was born in Ponce on 28 July 1912. His parents were Ramon Dapena Pacheco and Maria Laguna y Cedo. He was the father of
José Dapena Thompson, mayor of Ponce from 1984 to 1988.
Political life
In 1941 he worked as a political aide in the
Ponce City Hall
The Ponce City Hall ( es, Casa Alcaldía de Ponce) is a historic city hall in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is located it the center of the city, on Calle Degetau, across from Plaza Degetau in the Ponce Historic Zone. The building serves as the seat ...
, and was also interim municipal secretary. In 1956, he was appointed mayor of Ponce. Later that year (1956) he resigned as mayor to become a member of the
House of Representatives of Puerto Rico
The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico ( es, Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico) is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the bicameral state legislature (United States), territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. ...
, a post for which he had been elected. In 1960 he was elected to the
Puerto Rico Senate
The Senate of Puerto Rico ( es, Senado de Puerto Rico) is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate, together with the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, control t ...
, a post he occupied until 1968.
Schooling
He earned a degree from the
University of Puerto Rico School of Law
The University of Puerto Rico School of Law is a law school in Puerto Rico. It is one of the professional graduate schools of University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus and the only law school in the University of Puerto Rico System. It ...
.
Family life
His wife was Georgina Thompson. His children were
José
José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ).
In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...
(the mayor), Maria Rosa (who became the executive assistant of the first lady of Puerto Rico, Lila Mayoral de Hernandez Colon), Georgianne, and Victoria Eugenia (Baby).
Last years and legacy
Dapena Laguna lead a relatively quiet life the last few years of his life. He died in Ponce on 20 September 1991, of a heart condition. The government of Ponce honored him by naming the main Ponce firehouse after him.
''Héroes en el mundo: olvidados aquí.''
Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 12 October 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
See also
* Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce (, , , ) is both a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.
Ponce, Puerto Rico's most populated city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, was founded on 12 August 1 ...
* List of Puerto Ricans
References
Further reading
* Fay Fowlie de Flores. ''Ponce, Perla del Sur: Una Bibliográfica Anotada.'' Second Edition. 1997. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Universidad de Puerto Rico en Ponce. p. 319. Item 1602.
* "Toma de Posesión." ''Revista Gráfica del Sur'' Diciembre 1941. Supplement page between pages 26 and 27. (Colegio Universitario Tecnológico de Ponce, CUTPO).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dapena Laguna, Jose
Mayors of Ponce, Puerto Rico
Members of the Senate of Puerto Rico
1912 births
1991 deaths
20th-century American politicians