José Celso Barbosa
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José Celso Barbosa Alcala (July 27, 1857 – September 21, 1921) was a Puerto Rican
physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...
, sociologist and political leader. Known as the father of the
statehood movement in Puerto Rico The Puerto Rico statehood movement ( es, movimiento estadista de Puerto Rico) aims to make Puerto Rico a state of the United States. Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territorial possession of the United States acquired in 1898 following the Spa ...
, Barbosa was the first Puerto Rican, and one of the first persons of African descent to earn a medical degree in the
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.''Visit the Fascinating Museo Biblioteca Dr. Jose Barbosa.''
Puerto Rico.com 2019. Accessed June 19, 2019.
After his return to the island in 1880, Barbosa made many contributions to medicine and public health. He initiated an early form of health insurance, encouraging employers to pay a fee to cover future needs of their employees. In 1900 Barbosa was among the first five Puerto Rican leaders appointed to the Executive Cabinet under Governor Charles H. Allen, in the first civilian government organized by the United States. He served in the Cabinet until 1917. From 1917–1921, Barbosa served in the first elected Puerto Rican Senate.


Early years

Barbosa was born in 1857 in the city of Bayamón,
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
to parents of African and European ancestry. He received both his primary and secondary education in Puerto Rico. He was the first person of African ancestry to attend Puerto Rico's prestigious Jesuit Seminary. After graduating from the seminary, Barbosa tutored private students to save money to attend college. In 1875, he moved to
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
to attend prep school, where he learned
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
in a year.


Education

Originally Barbosa wished to become a lawyer, but after he suffered a bout of
pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
in
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, his doctor recommended that he study medicine. In 1877 he applied but was denied admission to the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, due to his race. He then applied and was admitted to the medical school of the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
, where he graduated as
valedictorian Valedictorian is an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution. The valedictorian is commonly determined by a numerical formula, generally an academic institution's grade point average (GPA ...
of the class of 1880. Barbosa was the first person from Puerto Rico to earn a medical degree in the United States. He returned to Puerto Rico, where he set up a practice in his hometown of Bayamón. The Spanish colonial government initially did not recognize Barbosa's medical degree, as it was not from a known European university. The American consul to the island intervened on behalf of Barbosa to have his United States degree recognized, so that he could practice. Barbosa provided medical care all over the island. He introduced the novel idea of employers paying a fee for the future healthcare needs of their employees (a very early
health insurance Health insurance or medical insurance (also known as medical aid in South Africa) is a type of insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses. As with other types of insurance, risk is shared among ma ...
system). In 1893, Barbosa founded the first Puerto Rican cooperative and named it ''El Ahorro Colectivo.''


Political career

During the Spanish colonial period, Barbosa was a member of the Partido Autonomista Puro (Pure Autonomous Party), also known as "Partido Histórico" and "Partido Ortodoxo", led by
Román Baldorioty de Castro Román Baldorioty de Castro (23 February 1822 – 30 September 1889) was Puerto Rican abolitionist and spokesman for the island's right to self-determination. In 1870, he was elected as a deputy in the Cortes Generales, the Spanish parliament, ...
, but left because of ideological differences. In 1898, when the United States bombarded and blockaded San Juan during the
Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...
, Barbosa and other doctors who lived in Bayamón traveled to the town of Cataño and took a ferry to the capital. Barbosa, as a member of the
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, went to the aid of the wounded Puerto Rican and Spanish soldiers. He and his party on the ferry had to travel across
San Juan Bay San Juan Bay ( es, Bahía de San Juan) is the bay and main inlet adjacent to Old San Juan in northeastern Puerto Rico. It is about in length, the largest body of water in an estuary of about of channels, inlets and eight interconnected lagoons ...
at risk, as they were under cannon fire. Barbosa and those with him were recommended by the Spanish government for the ''Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Naval'' (The Cross of the Order of Naval Merit) for their bravery. As a result of the war, the United States made Puerto Rico one of its territories. On July 4, 1899, Barbosa formed the pro-statehood Partido Republicano de Puerto Rico. He became known as the father of the statehood for Puerto Rico movement.


Later years

On June 5, 1900, President
William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...
named Barbosa, together with
Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón (April 22, 1855 – December 13, 1913) was a Puerto Rican lawyer and politician, a member of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives, and a lifelong political contrarian. He favored Puerto Rican autonomy when Puerto Ric ...
,
José de Diego José de Diego y Martínez (April 16, 1866 – July 16, 1918) was a statesman, journalist, poet, lawyer, and advocate for Puerto Rico's political autonomy in union with Spain and later of independence from the United States who was referred to by ...
, Manuel Camuñas and Andrés Crosas, as part of an Executive Cabinet under U.S.-appointed Governor Charles H. Allen, the first civilian governor of the island. The Executive Cabinet also included six American members. Barbosa served on the Executive Cabinet until 1917, dealing with a variety of governors appointed by the US during that period, and providing continuity in administration. During this period, in 1907 he founded the newspaper '' El Tiempo,'' the first bilingual newspaper published on the island. With representative elections authorized in 1917, Barbosa ran for an
at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...
seat. He was elected, serving as a member of the first Puerto Rican Senate, from 1917 to 1921. José Celso Barbosa died in San Juan on September 21, 1921. He was buried in
Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...
in
Old San Juan Old San Juan ( es, Viejo San Juan) is a historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the islet of San Juan. Its area roughly correlates to the Ballajá, Catedral, Marina, Mercado, San Cristóbal, and San Francisco sub-barrios (s ...
. One of his daughters,
Pilar Barbosa Pilar Barbosa de Rosario This name uses Spanish marriage naming customs; the first is the maiden family name '' "Barbosa"'' and the second or matrimonial family name is ''de "Rosario"''. (July 4, 1898 – January 22, 1997) was an educator, histor ...
, became a historian, serving as the
Official Historian of Puerto Rico Pursuant to a law approved in 1903, "An Act for the Approval and Conservation of Certain Historical Data of Puerto Rico", the Puerto Rico Legislature created the Office of the Official Historian of Puerto Rico. The historians who held the position ...
from 1993 to 1997. She was also a political activist who carried on her father's work.


Legacy and honors

*Puerto Rico has declared his birthday, July 27, an official holiday, known as José Celso Barbosa Day. * Barbosa's house in Bayamón has been preserved and is operated as a
historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...
. Many of his awards, certificates, books and other artifacts of interest are on exhibit. *On August 1, 2006, the
United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...
Post Office at 100 Avenida RL Rodriguez in Bayamón was named as the "Dr. Jose Celso Barbosa Post Office Building". The act for this was signed by President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
. Public Law 109-253; House Resolution 3440; U.S. 109th Congress in 2006 * In Ponce, there is a school named after him. *Avenida José C. Barbosa, in
Yauco Yauco () is a town and municipality in southern Puerto Rico. Although the downtown is inland, the municipality stretches to a southern coast facing the Caribbean Sea. Yauco is located south of Maricao, Lares and Adjuntas; east of Sabana G ...
, is named for him.


Decendants

Barbosa had 12 children including, Roberto C. Barbosa who became a dentist, Guillermo H. Barbosa who became a surgeon and Pilar Barbosa de Rosario who became Puerto Ricos first female official historian and married José Ezequiel Rosario. His cousin Jesus, gave birth to Oddosia "Thea" Barbosa. She Gave Birth to Nixsa Lebron Barbosa who married Ernesto Melendez Nieves. Her daughter and son later moved to Florida, where he became a lawyer and where she became and accountant and Gave Birth To David Rivera, one of the last known decendants of Barbosa. Eliminating his surname from his lineage.


See also

* List of Puerto Ricans *
Pilar Barbosa Pilar Barbosa de Rosario This name uses Spanish marriage naming customs; the first is the maiden family name '' "Barbosa"'' and the second or matrimonial family name is ''de "Rosario"''. (July 4, 1898 – January 22, 1997) was an educator, histor ...


Notes


References

*


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barbosa, Jose Celso 1857 births 1921 deaths Burials at Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery Members of the Senate of Puerto Rico People from Bayamón, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican party leaders Puerto Rican people of African descent Republican Party (Puerto Rico) politicians Statehood movement in Puerto Rico University of Michigan Medical School alumni