Rafael Arrillaga Torrens (1913–1960) was a Puerto Rican politician and medical doctor. He was born in Añasco, Puerto Rico on April 16, 1913. He attended primary and secondary school in his hometown and in Mayaguez. He earned a B.A. in mathematics and physics from the

College of William & Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...

, in

Williamsburg, Virginia Williamsburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula ...

in 1932, and obtained his PhD degree in medicine from the

Yale School of Medicine The Yale School of Medicine is the graduate medical school at Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was founded in 1810 as the Medical Institution of Yale College and formally opened in 1813. The primary te ...

in 1936. Torrens returned to Puerto Rico and settled in

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...

to a start his private practice in

cardiology Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart d ...

and simultaneously started a political career. In 1940 Torrens elected to 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. ...

in the Manatí district and in 1943 was elected Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives and served until 1944. He was affiliated with the Independence party of Puerto Rico. Torrens retired from politics and returned to medicine at the Professional Hospital in Santurce and worked as the director of the Center for Advanced Studies of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

Works

Torrens authored a number of books, many on philosophical thought, which were published in Madrid, Argentina and Mexico: * (1963) (), for which he received a prize from the Institute of Puerto Rican Literature * (1973) () * (1976) () * (1977) () * (1979) (), which he wrote in German and later translated to and published in Spanish * (1982) () * (1989) () * (1987) () * ()

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arrillaga, Rafael Torrens 1913 births 1960 deaths College of William & Mary alumni People from Añasco, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican cardiologists Speakers of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico University of Puerto Rico faculty Yale School of Medicine alumni