José Valentin Tormos Diego (2 November 1890 – 24 August 1977) was a Puerto Rican politician and

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce ( , , ) is a city and a Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The most populated city outside the San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan metropolitan area, Ponce was founded on August 12, 1692Some publ ...

, from 1937 to 1941. He is best remembered for under his administration the

Puerto Rican Nationalist Party The Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico (, PNPR) was a Puerto Rican political party founded on September 17, 1922, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Its primary goal was to work for Puerto Rico's independence. The Party's selection in 1930 of Pedro Alb ...

received a permit for a peaceful march, which resulted in the

Ponce massacre The Ponce massacre was an event that took place on Palm Sunday, March 21, 1937, in Ponce, Puerto Rico, when a peaceful civilian Marching, march turned into a police shooting in which 17 civilians and two policemen were killed, and more than 200 ...

by Insular Police under authority supplied by

US President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed For ...

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

to Governor

Blanton Winship Blanton C. Winship (November 23, 1869 – October 9, 1947) was an American military lawyer and veteran of both the Spanish–American War and World War I. During his career, he served both as Judge Advocate General of the United States Army and ...

. During his administration he also rebuilt the historic Teatro La Perla, and reconditioned the Teatro La Perla northern annex to be used as headquarters of the municipal public library.

Early years

Tormos Diego was the son of Joaquin Tormos and Catalina Diego. Tormos Diego married Amparo Vega Nevárez on 25 September 1911, in

Vega Alta, Puerto Rico Vega Alta () is a Vega Alta barrio-pueblo, town and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality of Puerto Rico. Vega Alta is on the northern coast of the island, north of Morovis and Corozal, Puerto Rico, Corozal; east of Vega Baja; and west of ...

, and they had 6 children: Carmen Amparo, Nelida Mercedes, Ana Luisa, Aida,

José José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced very differently in each of the two languages: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced ...

, and Gloria. One of his children, José G. Tormos Vega, was also mayor of Ponce.

Mayoral selection

Antonio M. Delgado Antonio M. Delgado was a Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican politician and mayor-elect of Ponce, Puerto Rico, for the term starting in 1937. However, he died before taking office.Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce ( , , ) is a city and a Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The most populated city outside the San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan metropolitan area, Ponce was founded on August 12, 1692Some publ ...

in 1936. However he died before taking office. Jose Tormos Diego was selected by the standing political party to replace Mr. Delgado.

Mayoral term

Tormos fell ill of appendicitis during his second year as mayor, in July 1938, and had surgery at a Washington, D.C., area hospital. Tormos Diego is best known for under his administration the

received a permit for a peaceful march, which resulted in the

by Insular Police under authority supplied by

to Governor

Death and legacy

Tormos Diego died on 24 August 1977. The cause of his death was "

cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, chronic liver failure or chronic hepatic failure and end-stage liver disease, is a chronic condition of the liver in which the normal functioning tissue, or parenchyma, is replaced ...

of the liver", and he was buried at Cementerio Católico San Vicente de Paul in Ponce. During his mayoral administration he rebuilt the historic Teatro La Perla in 1940. During the project he also reconditioned the Teatro La Perla northern annex to be used as headquarters of the municipal public library.Information retrieved from the commemorative plaque in the lobby of Teatro La Perla in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Its complete name in 1940 was "Auditorio y Libreria Publica La Perla". In Ponce there is also a public housing development named after him.

Early years

Mayoral selection

Mayoral term

Death and legacy

See also

References

Further reading