Severo E. Colberg Ramírez (September 16, 1924 – December 26, 1990) was a Puerto Rican

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

. He served as a member of the

Puerto Rico House of Representatives 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 territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The House, together with the Sen ...

, and was the Speaker from 1982 to 1985. He was affiliated to the Popular Democratic Party (PPD).

Early years and studies

Colberg Ramírez was born in Cabo Rojo on September 16, 1924. He received his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in social science from the

University of Puerto Rico The University of Puerto Rico ( es, Universidad de Puerto Rico, UPR) is the main public university system in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a government-owned corporation with 11 campuses and approximately 58,000 students and 5,3 ...

, and his

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in public administration from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. He worked at the University of Puerto Rico as an aide to the Dean of Administration, and as a professor and director at the Graduate School of Public Administration. Colberg Ramirez contributed as columnist for more than 20 years for several of the island's main newspapers. A selected collection of his writings was published by the House of Representatives in 2001.

Political career

Colberg Ramírez was first elected to the

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

. He remained in that position until 1968. In 1969, he went on to occupy a seat in the

Senate of Puerto Rico 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 ...

, filling a vacancy left by Rafael Durand Manzanal. That same year, he served as Secretary of the Senate and presided the Commission of Treasury until 1972. In 1972, he ran again for the House of Representatives at the general election. After being elected, he served as president pro tempore of the House. He was again reelected at the 1976 general elections, and was appointed as Minority Speaker for his party. In 1982, he was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. He served as such until 1984.

Personal life

Colberg Ramírez was married to Eva Toro Fránquiz (b. 1925), also from Cabo Rojo. They had six children: Yanira (b. 1951), Severo (b. 1953), Eva (b. 1955), Esther (b. 1961), Nelson (b. 1963), and Jorge (b. 1965). Their son,

Severo Colberg Toro Severo Colberg Toro (born on November 6, 1953, in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican politician and attorney. He served as a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives from 1993 to 2004. He is affiliated to the Popular Democrat ...

, was a member of the House of Representatives with the PPD from 1993 to 2004. The youngest son,

Jorge Colberg Toro Jorge Colberg Toro (born October 7, 1965) is a Puerto Rican politician, a former Member of the House of Representatives and a College Professor. He served as a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives from 2003 to 2013. He also was Sec ...

, was also elected as a member of the House of Representatives with the PPD from 2008 to 2012. Another notable member of his family was his cousin Dr. Rebekah Colberg, known as "The Mother of Women's Sports in Puerto Rico". Colberg Ramírez died on December 26, 1990, in the city of Bayamón and was buried at the Buxeda Memorial Park in

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the juri ...

. Eva Toro Fránquiz died on August 2, 2006 at the age of 81.Archivo Digital Periódico PrimeraHora.com, 2 de agosto de 2006

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External links

Severo Colberg Ramírez
on SenadoPR {{DEFAULTSORT:Colberg, Severo 1924 births 1990 deaths 20th-century American politicians Harvard Kennedy School alumni Popular Democratic Party members of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico Speakers of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico Members of the Senate of Puerto Rico People from Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico United States Army Air Forces soldiers University of Puerto Rico alumni University of Puerto Rico faculty United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II