Baudilio Vega Berríos (February 16, 1902 – August 1987) was

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 ...

of the city of

Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Mayagüez (, ) is the ninth-largest Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in Puerto Rico. It was founded as Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Mayagüez (Township of Virgin of Candelaria, Our Lady of Candelaria), and is also ...

. Vega Berríos was born in Barrio Pulguillas in Coamo. His mother was Basilisa Berríos Zayas and his father was Baudilio Vega who was from Pulguillas. He had five siblings, Ruben, Lucila, Anibal, Áurea and Leodovina Vega Berrios. In 1920, he served in the Department of the interior and later in 1926 he joined the

Puerto Rico Police Department The Puerto Rico Police (PPR; , ), officially the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (, ), is a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the entire Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a division of the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety (PR DPS), ...

. By 1932, he was the officer in charge of

Old San Juan Old San Juan () is a historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the San Juan Islet, islet of San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan. Its area roughly correlates to the Ballajá, Old San Juan, Ballajá, Catedral, Old San Juan, ...

. In 1934 he arrived in Mayaguez and he accepts a post on the American Railroad Co. where he served from 1939 to 1946. In 1946 he is called upon by

Luis Muñoz Marín José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín (February 18, 1898April 30, 1980) was a Puerto Rican journalist, politician, statesman and was the first elected governor of Puerto Rico, regarded as the "Architect of the Puerto Rico Commonwealth." In 1948 he ...

, then president of the

Senate of Puerto Rico The Senate of 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 the legislative branch of ...

and of the

Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico The Popular Democratic Party (, PPD) is a political party in Puerto Rico that advocates to continue as a Commonwealth of the United States with self-governance. The party was founded in 1938 by dissidents from the Liberal Party of Puerto Rico, Pu ...

, to assume the office of Mayor of Mayagüez, he occupied the post until 1952. From 1952 to 1956 he was a member of the

House of Representatives of Puerto Rico The House of Representatives of 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 Senate, control the legislative branch of the go ...

and a member of the Constitutional Convention of Puerto Rico. Then from 1956 till 1968 he served once again as mayor of Mayagüez.

Legacy

The

Cultural Center A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run. Africa * ...

in Mayagüez now bears his name.

References

1902 births 1987 deaths Mayors of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico People from Coamo, Puerto Rico Popular Democratic Party members of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico Puerto Rican police officers 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico {{PuertoRico-bio-stub