Ana González González (January 7, 1908 – February 18, 1997) better known as Ana G. Méndez was a Puerto Rican educator who founded the Ana G. Méndez University System in Puerto Rico.

Early years

Méndez was one of eight children born to Francisco González Monje and Ana González Cofresí in Aguada, Puerto Rico. She was a direct descendant of the Puerto Rican pirate

Roberto Cofresí Roberto Cofresí y Ramírez de Arellano (June 17, 1791 – March 29, 1825), better known as El Pirata Cofresí, was a pirate from Puerto Rico. He was born into a noble family, but the political and economic difficulties faced by the island as a c ...

, on her mother's side.Biografia y Vidas
/ref> In 1935, Méndez graduated from high school in Santurce; she earned her bachelor's degree in commercial education from the University of Puerto Rico in 1940. It was during the 1940s that she realised that students should have the option of having a short term college for a commercial or technical career, this led in 1941, to her founding the Puerto Rican High School of Commerce with 3 teachers and nine students.zonai

Personal life

She got married when she was 15 years old to José Méndez Rivera and they had three children together named, Dora Méndez González, Grecia Méndez González and José Méndez González.

Founder of Puerto Rico Junior College

In 1948, Méndez graduated from New York University with a master's degree. In 1948, she founded the Puerto Rico Junior College in Río Piedras with 19 students; this became the first educational institution in Puerto Rico to offer an associate degree (2 year college). An educational visionary, Méndez founded universities, television stations, college classes by mail and as mentioned above the associate degree.UMET celebra foro internacional de empresarismo
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Universities founded by Méndez

Among the universities founded by Méndez are: * The University of Turabo, which is located in Caguas, Puerto Rico with branches in Cayey, Isabela, Ponce,

Yabucoa Yabucoa () is a town and municipality in Puerto Rico located in the eastern region, north of Maunabo; south of San Lorenzo, Las Piedras and Humacao; and east of Patillas. Yabucoa is spread over 9 barrios and Yabucoa Pueblo (the downtown area ...

, Barceloneta and Naguabo. * The Universidad del Este (University of the East), which is located in Carolina, Puerto Rico with branches in Santa Isabel, Cabo Rojo, Barceloneta,

Utuado Utuado () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central mountainous region of the island known as the '' Cordillera Central''. It is located north of Adjuntas and Ponce; south of Hatillo and Arecibo; east of Lares; and west ...

and in Yauco; * The Metropolitan University, which is located in

Cupey Cupey is one of the 18 barrios of the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico located in the mountainous area of the municipality. It is the largest barrio or district in the San Juan and the third most populous with 36,058 inhabitants according ...

with branches in Bayamón, Aguadilla, Jayuya, and in Comerío.

Ana G. Méndez Foundation

Méndez also founded the "Ana G. Méndez Foundation" which grants scholarships to outstanding students and she also found TV Channel 40 "The Ana G. Méndez Educational Channel". What today is known as the "Ana G. Méndez University System" and started with only nine students, now has over 17,000 students, 800 professors and 500 administrative employees.

Legacy

In 1965, Méndez became the "first" and only Puerto Rican woman amongst the Board of Directors of

Eastern Air Lines Eastern Air Lines, also colloquially known as Eastern, was a major United States airline from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida. Ea ...

. In 1975, the Catholic University of Puerto Rico awarded to Méndez an honorary doctoral degree in humanities. Ana G. Méndez died on 18 February 1997 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico honored her memory by naming an avenue in San Juan after her. On 10 July 2003, Mayor Buddy Dyer of

Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...

, announced the opening of the "Ana G. Méndez Metro Orlando University".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mendez, Ana G. 1908 births 1997 deaths New York University alumni People from Aguada, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican people of Spanish descent 20th-century Puerto Rican educators University of Puerto Rico alumni Founders of schools in the United States Women founders 20th-century American women educators 20th-century American educators 20th-century philanthropists