This is a list of notable ''Ponceños'', people from
Ponce, Puerto Rico. Listed here are people who were either born in Ponce or who were not born in Ponce, but who are or were longtime residents of the city – the so-called adopted sons and daughters of Ponce, and known in Spanish as "''Ponceñistas''". Ponce has also been the birthplace and the place of residence of many
Puerto Ricans
Puerto Ricans ( es, Puertorriqueños; or boricuas) are the people of Puerto Rico, the inhabitants, and citizens of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and their descendants.
Overview
The culture held in common by most Puerto Ricans is referred t ...
who became notable elsewhere. The following lists many of them as well. The list is arranged alphabetically by area of notability.
List of notable Ponceños by area of notability
The list is divided into categories and in some cases sub-categories which best describe the field for which the subject is most noted. For individuals notable in more than one field (such as "Luis A. Ferré" who is notable as a former "governor" and as an "industrialist") the entry is made under the field for which the individual is most noted.
:
Top –
Actors, actresses, comedians and directors,
Architects,
Authors, playwrights and poets,
Beauty queens and fashion models,
Business people and industrialists,
Civil rights and/or political activists,
Clergy,
Composers, contemporary singers, musicians and opera,
Criminals and outlaws,
Diplomats,
Educators,
Governors,
Historians
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...
,
Journalists
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
,
Judges, law enforcement and firefighters,
Military,
Physicians, scientists and inventors,
Politicians
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, a ...
,
Sportspeople,
Visual Artists.
Actors, actresses, comedians, directors and entertainers
*
Marisol Calero, actress
Films:
Under Suspicion, and ''"
El último de los amantes"'' (the Spanish language version of
The Last of the Red Hot Lovers).
*
Míriam Colón, actress
Founder of New York City's
Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre
*
María-Elena Laas
Maria-Elena Laas is an American actress of Puerto Rican descent.
Early life
Maria-Elena Laas was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico and raised in Saudi Arabia and Japan. , actress
Films:
The Hot Chick, and
Suffering Man's Charity
''Suffering Man's Charity'', later released as ''Ghost Writer'', is a 2007 comedy/horror film directed by Alan Cumming, written by playwright Thomas Gallagher, and starring Alan Cumming and David Boreanaz.
Plot
John, an eccentric music teacher, ...
, among others.
*
Walter Mercado
Walter Mercado Salinas (9 March 1932 – 2 November 2019), also known by his stage name Shanti Ananda, was a Puerto Rican astrologer, actor, dancer, and writer, best known as a television personality for his shows as an astrologer. His astrol ...
, astrologer, dancer, telenovela actor, writer
*
Mario Montez, female impersonator/actor
A
Warhol superstar.
*
Tommy Muñiz
Lucas Tomás Muñiz Ramírez (4 February 1922 – 15 January 2009), better known as Tommy Muñiz, was a Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican comedy and drama actor, media producer, businessman and network owner. He is considered to be one of the pioneerin ...
, television producer comedian and actor
Pioneer in Puerto Rico television. Starred in the movie ''"
Lo que le Pasó a Santiago"'', directed by
Jacobo Morales, which was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...
.
*
Lymari Nadal, actress
Film:
American Gangster; TV:
Battlestar Galactica
''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series), original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel se ...
*
Elín Ortíz
Elin or Elín is a variation of Ellen and Helene used in Scandinavian and Celtic languages.
Prominent people
*Elin Andersdotter (d. 1569), Swedish lady-in-waiting and political conspirator
* Elin Brandell (1882–1963), Swedish journalist
*Elí ...
, actor, producer, comedian and screenwriter.
For many years interpreted "Relíquia", mocking political corruption in Puerto Rico.
*
Jeimy Osorio
Jeirmarie "Jeimy" Osorio Rivera (born December 22, 1988) is a Puerto Rican actress and singer. Best known for telenovelas: '' Una Maid en Manhattan'', '' Porque el amor manda'', '' Santa Diabla'' and '' Celia''.
Filmography
Theatre
R ...
, actress.
Film:
Una Maid en Manhattan, ''"
Porque el amor manda"'', ''"
Santa Diabla"''; TV:
Celia.
*
Gilluis Pérez
Gilluis Fernando Pérez (born October 4, 1989, Ponce) is an actor, producer, writer and director from Puerto Rico.
Career
As a child Perez participated in shows, dances and musicals throughout his school years. He began his studies in archit ...
, actor.
TV:
Nicky Jam: El Ganador.
*
Luis Raúl
Luis Raúl Martínez Rodríguez (March 6, 1962February 2, 2014), better known as Luis Raúl, was a Puerto Rican actor, comedian and television host. He was known for his stand-up comedy and his various characters. He also hosted TeleOnce's (lat ...
, actor, comedian and TV host
Acted in many
telenovelas. Hosted ''"
Anda Pa'l Cara
Anda or ANDA may refer to:
Places China
*Anda, Heilongjiang, a city in Heilongjiang, China
*Anda railway station, a railway station in Anda, China
Iran
*Anda, Iran, a village in Fars Province, Iran
Norway
*Anda, Norway, an island in Øksnes mun ...
"'' and ''"
Pa' Que Te Lo Goces
''Pa' Que Te Lo Goces'' was a Puerto Rican variety show directed by Tony Mojena. It aired on Telemundo Puerto Rico. It included comedies, charity campaigns, gossip, news, reality shows, contests, and singers, celebrities, and other special guest ...
"''
*
Esther Sandoval
Esther Sandoval (28 December 1928 – 6 February 2006) was a Puerto Rican actress and a pioneer in Puerto Rico's television.
Early years
Sandoval was born Esther María González in Ponce where she received her primary and secondary education ...
, actress.
Starred in ''"Ante La Ley"'', Puerto Rico's first
telenovela.
*
Marta Romero, actress and singer
One of the pioneers of
telenovelas in Puerto Rico
*
Teófilo Torres
Teófilo Torres (born 6 March 1954 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican actor, director and professor of theatre. He has acted for both television as well the big screen, and has performed in Puerto Rico and internationa ...
, actor and film director
Film: ''"
Dios los cría
''...And God Created Them'' ( es, Díos los Cría...) is a 1979 Puerto Rican comedy film directed by Jacobo Morales. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival. It featured an ensemble cast made up mainly ...
"'', the Spanish language version of
...And God Created Them, among others.
*
Carmen Nydia Velázquez, comedian and singer
Fictional role in the
comedic duet
A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a solo ...
''"
Susa y Epifanio
Susa y Epifanio are a comedic duo of fictional characters from Puerto Rico. They hosted the radio program ''Prende El Fogón'' on WSKN-AM in San Juan, and the weekday television program ''El Fogón TV'' on WORO-DT in Carolina. They also make f ...
"''
*
Rosita Velázquez
Rosa Idalia Velázquez (born July 29, 1950), better known as Rosita Velázquez, is a Puerto Rican comedian, actress and singer. She is best known for her participation in television comedy shows such as "Mi Hippie me Encanta" ("I Love my Hippie"), ...
, actress, comedian and singer, grew up in Ponce.
*
Juan Emilio Viguié, film producer
Pioneer film producer. Made the first commercially successful films in the island, including ''"Romance Tropical"'', the first Puerto Rican film with sound.
*
Marco Zunino
Marco Aurelio Zunino Costa (born 12 November 1976) is a Peruvian actor, singer, songwriter and dancer. In his country has starred in the musicals ''Jesucristo Superstar
''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music b ...
, actor
Starred in the musicals ''
Jesucristo Superstar
''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with m ...
'', ''
Cabaret'', ''
Rent'' and ''
Amor sin barreras (West Side Story)''.
Architects
*
Pedro Adolfo de Castro y Besosa
Pedro Adolfo de Castro (1895–1936) was a twentieth-century architect from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Early years
He was born Pedro Adolfo de Castro Besosa in January 1895, in Brooklyn, New York, to Pedro De Castro (1867 - 1928; from Ceiba, Puert ...
, architect
A graduate of an American architecture university, he designed masterpieces such as
Castillo Serrallés
Castillo Serrallés (English: Serralles Castle) is a mansion located in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, overlooking the downtown area ( Ponce Pueblo). It was built during the 1930s for Juan Eugenio Serrallés, son of businessman Juan Serrall ...
and Casa de España.
*
Juan Bertoli Calderoni, architect
Designer of
Teatro La Perla
Teatro La Perla is a historic theater in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Inaugurated in 1864, it is the second oldest theater of its kind in Puerto Rico, but "the largest and most historic in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean." The theater was na ...
*
Maruja Fuentes
Maruja Fuentes (March 4, 1978 – June 28, 2010) was a Puerto Rican architect and an industrial and environmental designer.
Biography
A native of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Maruja studied environmental design at the University of Puerto Rico, earned an ...
, industrial and environmental designer
*
Timoteo Luberza
Timoteo Luberza de San Martín (ca. 1820 - ca. 1895) was a nineteenth-century Puerto Rican engineer from Ponce, Puerto Rico. He was responsible for the 1875 Ponce water supply system, including the dam in Rio Portugues, and the ''Calle del Agu ...
, architect
Designed
Plaza del Mercado Isabel II
*
Andrés Mignucci
Andrés Mignucci Giannoni FAIA (December 17, 1957 – November 21, 2022) was a Puerto Rican architect and urbanist of Corsican ancestry. His work received recognition for its integration of the disciplines of architecture, urban design and lan ...
, urbanist.
Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. Winner of the
Henry Klumb Award 2012.
*
Francisco Porrata-Doría
Francisco Luis Porrata-Doría (4 May 1890 - 2 September 1971) was a Puerto Rican architect from Ponce, Puerto Rico. Porrata-Doría was a pioneer in the development of the local modern architecture and one of the architects responsible for what ...
, architect
Designed the
Ponce Cathedral,
Banco de Ponce building, and
Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño building.
*
Blas Silva, architect
Creator of the
Ponce Creole architectural style. Designed the
Casa de la Masacre,
Font-Ubides House
Casa Font-Ubides (English: Font-Ubides House), also known as the Residencia Monsanto (English: Monsanto Residence) is a historic building located on the north side of Castillo Street in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in the city's historic district. The bu ...
, and the
Subira House, among others.
*
Alfredo Wiechers Pieretti, architect
Designed many buildings now in the
NRHP
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
including
Casa Wiechers-Villaronga, today the
Museo de la Arquitectura Ponceña.
Authors, playwrights and poets
*
César Andreu Iglesias
César Andreu Iglesias (July 31, 1915 – April 17, 1976) was a Puerto Rican political activist, labor organizer, journalist, novelist, and short story writer.
Early years
Andreu Iglesias was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on July 31, 1915.
In ...
,
labor organizer
A union organizer (or union organiser in Commonwealth spelling) is a specific type of trade union member (often elected) or an appointed union official. A majority of unions appoint rather than elect their organizers.
In some unions, the orga ...
, journalist, novelist, and short-story writer.
Co-founder of
Claridad. President of the
Puerto Rican Communist Party, and recipient of the 1960 Award for Excellence in Journalism from the Puerto Rican Institute of Literature.
*
Rosario Ferré
Rosario Ferré Ramírez de Arellano (September 28, 1938 – February 18, 2016) was a Puerto Rican writer, poet, and essayist.
...
, fiction writer, poet, essayist and biographer
Award:
Liberatur Prix Award,
Frankfurt Book Fair.
*
Félix Franco-Oppenheimer
Félix Franco-Oppenheimer (August 10, 1912 – September 25, 2004) was a Puerto Rican poet and writer. His works include ''Contornos'', ''Imagen y visión edénica de Puerto Rico'', and ''Antología poética''.
First years
Franco-Oppenheimer ...
, poet and writer
His works include "Contornos", "Imagen y visión edénica de Puerto Rico", and "Antología poética".
*
Pedro J. Labarthe
Pedro Juan Labarthe López de Victoria (21 June 1905 – March 1966) was a Puerto Rican poet, journalist, essayist, and novelist.
Birth place, training and life
Pedro Juan Labarthe López de Victoria was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico in 1905. ...
, poet, journalist, essayist, and novelist.
Documented the experience of Puerto Rican migration to New York. Major writings: The Son of Two Nations: The Private Life of a Columbia Student, among others.
*
Emilio J. Pasarell
Emilio J. Pasarell (1891–1974) was a Puerto Rican short story writer, novelist, essayist and historian.
Origin
Pasarell was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico in 1891, the son of Manuel Pasarell-Mila de la Rosa (also known as Manuel Pasarell y Mila ...
, short-story writer, novelist, and essayist. He was also an accomplished historian.
Best known for his ''"Origenes y desarrollo de la aficcion teatral en Puerto Rico"'' (Origins and development of theater in Puerto Rico).
*
Pedro Pietri, poet, playwright
Co-founder of the
Nuyorican Poets Café.
*
Ed Vega
Ed, ed or ED may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Ed'' (film), a 1996 film starring Matt LeBlanc
* Ed (''Fullmetal Alchemist'') or Edward Elric, a character in ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' media
* ''Ed'' (TV series), a TV series that ran fro ...
, novelist and short-story writer.
Major awards:
PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award (2004) and
Washington Post Book of the Year Award (2004).
*
Iris Zavala
Iris most often refers to:
*Iris (anatomy), part of the eye
*Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess
* ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants
* Iris (color), an ambiguous color term
Iris or IRIS may also refer to:
Arts and media
Fictional ent ...
, author, scholar, and poet.
Major Awards:
Medal of Honor,
ICP;
Gold Medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
,
AP; and
Pen Club Award.
Beauty queens and fashion models
*
Denise Quiñones, beauty queen
Miss Puerto Rico 2001,
Miss Universe 2001
*
Maripily Rivera, model
Model, TV host and actress
Business people and industrialists
*
Juan Bigas Moulins
Juan Bigas Moulins (15 June 1863–19 June 1934) was a nineteenth-century Puerto Rican businessman in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Early years
Born in Barcelona, Spain, Juan Bigas Moulins immigrated to Puerto Rico when he was eight years old. His paren ...
, businessman
Ponce Servicios
Ponce Servicos, formerly Plaza del Mercado Juan Bigas, is a brutalist municipal building located Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is the largest building in the municipality in terms of footprint area and the only one that occupies an entire city block. T ...
was named after him.
*
Salvador de Vives, Mayor of Ponce and founder of
Hacienda Buena VistaUnder his mayoral administration, the
Ponce City Hall was built.
*
Ramiro L. Colón
Ramiro L. Colón (1904–1983), was the general manager of the Cooperativa de Cafeteros de Puerto Rico. He reorganized the company during its time of crisis and is credited with having saved the coffee industry in Puerto Rico.
Early years
C ...
First administrator of Cooperativa de Cafeteros de Puerto Rico,
Café Rico.
*
Antonio Luis Ferré
Antonio Luis Ferré (born February 6, 1934) is the Chairman of the Board of the Ferré-Rangel business emporium which owns Puerto Rico's largest newspaper, ''El Nuevo Día'', as well as ''Primera Hora'' newspaper.
Ferré is the son of former Go ...
, businessman and industrialist
Owner of
Ferré-Rangel media emporium.
*
Luberza Oppenheimer, IsabelMadam
Madam (), or madame ( or ), is a polite and formal form of address for Woman, women in the English language, often contracted to ma'am (pronounced in American English and this way but also in British English). The term derives from the French ...
of a notorious
brothel
A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...
.
*
Francisco Parra Duperón
Francisco Parra Duperón (1827–1899) born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, was a lawyer and banker. He became a lawyer at a young age and moved from Mayagüez to Ponce, Puerto Rico where he established his law practice. He was also one of the foun ...
, lawyer
Founder of Puerto Rico's oldest law firm in continuous operation,
Parra, del Valle & Limeres.
*
José Miguel Rovira
José Miguel Rovira was a Puerto Rican industrialist and co-founder and main driving force behind Rovira Biscuits Corporation during its formative years.
Early years
Rovira was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He was the eldest son of José María Ro ...
, industrialist
Founder of
Rovira Biscuits Corporation
Rovira Biscuits Corporation is a Puerto Rican corporation that manufactures crackers branded by the same name. The company is well known for its production of ''"export sodas"'' crackers. The company's headquarters are located in Urbanizacion ...
.
*
Ermelindo Salazar
Ermelindo Salazar Schuck (ca. 1830 – ca. 1910) was interim Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico, from May to 10 July 1887. He filled the mayoral post between the resignation of mayor Ramón Elices Montes and the arrival of Fernando Diez de Ulzur ...
, businessman
Founded the Ponce Chamber of Commerce. Was also president of
Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño, one of the largest and oldest in the Island.
*
Félix Saurí Vivas, businessman and
hacienda
An ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an estate (or ''finca''), similar to a Roman ''latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals or orchards), ...
holder
Built the third-oldest residence still standing in Ponce and which became
Liceo Ponceño
The Gran Teatre del Liceu (, English: Great Theatre of the Lyceum), known as ''El Liceu'', is an opera house in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Located in La Rambla, it is the oldest running theatre in Barcelona.
Founded in 1837 at another loca ...
, Puerto Rico's first girls-only school, and later the
Ponce Ramada Hotel.
*
Juan Serrallés, businessman and hacienda holder
Founder of
Destilería Serrallés and "
Don Q".
*
Salvador Vassallo, industrialist
Founder of
Industrias Vassallo and subsidiaries.
*
Luis Fortuño Janeiro
Luis Fortuño Janeiro (1902 – 1966) was a politician, historian, journalist, and businessman from Ponce, Puerto Rico. He was senator from Ponce from 1937 to 1941.
Historian and journalist
Fortuño is best remembered for his ''Album Históri ...
, journalist and member of the
Puerto Rico SenateFounder of Ïmprenta Fortuño.
Civic leaders
*
Olimpio Otero Vergés
Olimpio Otero Vergés (1845 – 7 September 1911) was a merchant,''El Componte.'' Museo del Autonomismo de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Autonomism Museum), Panteón Nacional Roman Baldorioty de Castro, Ponce, Puerto Rico. Accessed 10 November 2010 ...
, civic leader, merchant, attorney
Instrumental in the creation of the
Parque de la Abolición, the building of road
PR-123/
PR-10, and the launching of
1883 Ponce Fair
*
Valentín Tricoche
Valentín Tricoche (c. 1800 – 1863) was a Puerto Rican land owner and philanthropist from Ponce, Puerto Rico. He is best remembered for his generous donation that made possible the building of Hospital Tricoche.
Early years
Valentin Tricoche ...
, philanthropist and civic leader
Donated the money for the construction of
Acueducto de Ponce
The Acueducto de Ponce (Ponce Aqueduct), formally Acueducto Alfonso XII, is the name of a historic 2.5-mileClarksburg Telegram. Clarksburg, West Virginia. Vol XXXVII. Number 38. 29 July 1898. Page 1. gravity-based water supply system in the city ...
and what would become
Hospital Tricoche
Albergue Caritativo Tricoche or Hospital Tricoche (English: ''Tricoche Charitable Shelter'' or ''Tricoche Hospital'') is a historic building located on Calle Tricoche street in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in the city's historic district. It was designe ...
.
*
Rafael Rivera Esbrí, civic leader and mayor
A hero of 1898 "El Polvorín" fire.
Civil servants and public servants
*
Enrique Campos del Toro, businessman, banker, law professor and civil servant
Served in several Commonwealth governmental positions, some of which were appointed by the president of the United States.
*
Carlos A. Chardón López
Carlos A. Chardon López (born ca. 17 of January 1939) is a Puerto Rican educator and public servant. He has served twice as Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Education and subsequently served under Secretary of State Kenneth McClint ...
, educator and civil servant
Chardón served twice as Puerto Rico's Secretary of Education
*
Carlos Fernando Chardón, Secretary of State and Adjuntant General of Puerto Rico.
*
Antonio S. Luchetti
Antonio S. Lucchetti (20 January 1888 – 19 December 1958) was a Puerto Rican engineer and public servant, through whom comprehensive electric service was established in Puerto Rico via the Puerto Rico Water Resources Authority (PRWRA) and, l ...
, engineer and public servant
Headed the launching of island-wide public electric service in Puerto Rico.
*
Mariano Villaronga-Toro
Mariano Villaronga Toro (9 November 1906 - 7 March 1987) was a Puerto Rican educator and Commissioner of Public Instruction in Puerto Rico from 1946 to 1957. Under his leadership as Commissioner of Public Instruction, three major institutions t ...
, educator and public servant
The first Commissioner of Public Instruction after the creation of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Displaced English as the language of instruction and replaced it with Spanish.
Civil rights and/or political activists
*
Carlos Alberto Torres, political activist
Nationalist and political prisoner.
Clergy
*
José Luis de Jesús, Creator of the "Creciendo en Gracia" sect
Self-proclaimed "Jesus Christ Man". Can be heard in 287 radio stations; founded a 24-hr TV network; has some 2 million followers in 35 countries.
*
Isolina Ferré, Catholic nun
Recipient of the
Presidential Medal of Freedom.
*
Félix Lázaro Martínez, bishop of Ponce
Educator at the
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
*
Juan Fremiot Torres Oliver
Juan Fremiot Torres Oliver (28 October 1925 – 26 January 2012) was a Puerto Rican prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the longest-serving bishop for the Diocese of Ponce in Ponce, Puerto Rico, with 36 years of service from 1964 to 20 ...
, bishop of Ponce
Longest-serving bishop for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ponce in Ponce, Puerto Rico, with 36 years of service.
Composers, contemporary singers, musicians and opera
Composers
*
Julio C. Arteaga
Julio C. Arteaga (29 October 1867 – 1923) was a Puerto Rican musician and composer of danzas.
Early years
Julio Carlos de Arteaga Matheu ( a.k.a., Julio Carlos Arteaga Matheu) was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on 29 October 1867 to Diego Artea ...
, composer of danzas, musician and teacher.
*
Héctor Campos Parsi, composer and writer
Wrote many compositions, including the incidental music for both
A Midsummer Night's Dream
''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...
by
Shakespeare, and
Dracula
''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
by
Bram Stoker
Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912) was an Irish author who is celebrated for his 1897 Gothic horror novel '' Dracula''. During his lifetime, he was better known as the personal assistant of actor Sir Henry Irving and busine ...
.
*
Arístides Chavier Arévalo
Arístides Chavier Arévalo (3 September 1867 –1942) was a Puerto Rican pianist, modernism composer, musicologist and music author from Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Early years and schooling
Chavier Arévalo was born in Ponce on 3 September 1867. ...
, pianist and composer.
Chavier trained
Luis A. Ferré
Don Luis Alberto Ferré Aguayo (February 17, 1904 October 20, 2003) was a Puerto Rican engineer, industrialist, politician, philanthropist, and a patron of the arts. He was the governor of Puerto Rico from 1969 to 1973. He was the founder of the ...
as a concert-level pianist.
*
Juan Morel Campos, composer of
danzas.
Founder of the
Ponce Municipal Band
The Ponce Municipal Band (Spanish: ''Banda Municipal de Ponce''), also known as ''Centenaria Banda Municipal de Ponce'', is the band of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The band is the oldest continuously-performing band in the Caribbean ...
. Wrote over 550 compositions before he died on stage at age 39.
*
Juan Ríos Ovalle
Juan Ríos Ovalle (1863–1928) was a Puerto Rican musician and composer of danzas. Among his most popular danzas are: Angelina, La Graciosita (The Little Funny One), Lluvia de Perlas (Rain of Pearls), Odalisca, and Teresa.
Early years
Born in ...
, composer of danzas, prolific musician and orchestra director.
*
Manuel G. Tavárez, composer
Known as "The father of the Puerto Rican danza"
Musicians
*
Carlos Alomar, guitarist, composer and arranger.
Best known for his work with
David Bowie, having played on more Bowie albums than any other musician.
*
Julio Alvarado Tricoche, musician, composer, band director.
Best known for "Lejos de Ti".
*
Rubén Colón Tarrats
Rubén Colón Tarrats (b. 1940) is a Puerto Rican composer, clarinet player and band director from Ponce, Puerto Rico. He also conducted the Banda Municipal de Ponce for ten years. He received his music training at Escuela Libre de Música de ...
, musician, composer, band director.
*
Domingo Cruz "Cocolía"
Domingo Cruz (3 July 1864 – 20 October 1934), a.k.a., "Cocolía", was a late 19th-century Puerto Rican musician, and director of the Ponce Firefighters' Band (now the Ponce Municipal Band).
Early years
Domingo Cruz was born in Ponce, Puerto ...
, musician and orchestra director.
Director of the
ultracentenarian Ponce Municipal Band
The Ponce Municipal Band (Spanish: ''Banda Municipal de Ponce''), also known as ''Centenaria Banda Municipal de Ponce'', is the band of the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The band is the oldest continuously-performing band in the Caribbean ...
.
*
Papo Lucca, multi-instrumentalist musician.
Co-founder of
La Sonora Ponceña, a
salsa band. He also played the piano with The
Fania All-Stars.
*
Elías López Sobá
Elías López Sobá (born in 1927) is a Puerto Rican classical music pianist and educator. Together with musical director Justino Diaz, Elias López Sobá has been co-directing the annual Casals Festival since 2010. Some sources considered h ...
, classical music pianist and educator.
Co-director of the annual
Casals Festival since 2010.
*
Luis Osvaldo Pino Valdivieso, musician and band director.
*
Librado Net
Librado Net Pérez (1895-1964) was a Puerto Rican musician, educator and painter from Ponce, Puerto Rico. He was the first director of the Escuela Libre de Música de Ponce, considered the best of Puerto Rico's free Music Schools at the time. ...
, musician, educator and painter.
First director of the
Escuela Libre de Música de Ponce and mastermind behind the creation of Puerto Rico's Free Music School system.
*
Elisa Tavárez
Elisa Tavárez (1879–1960) was a Puerto Rican pianist.
Early years
Elisa Tavárez Colón was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, to the "father of the dance" Manuel Gregorio Tavárez and Elisa Colón Colón
Training and career
Tavárez studied musi ...
, pianist
Contemporary singers
*
PJ Sin Suela, rapper, composer, and doctor.
Pedro-Juan Vázquez Bragan better known as PJ Sin Suela has been known for his music career and his compromise with social matters in Puerto Rico.
*
Lorenzo S. Alvarado Santos, singer, composer, and guitarist.
With
Johnny Albino
Johnny Albino (December 9, 1919 – May 7, 2011) was a Puerto Rican bolero singer, born in Yauco, Puerto Rico but lived most of his life in Guayama, Puerto Rico.
Biography
Johnny Albino played and sang through his youth years. It was not un ...
and Félix ("Ola") Martínez, made up
Trío San Juan during the years 1949–1957. Among his best tunes was the 1956 bolero "Siete notas de amor".
*
Cheo Feliciano,
salsa singer.
Lead singer for the "
Joe Cuba Sextet
Joe or JOE may refer to:
Arts
Film and television
* ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle
* ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage
* ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971
* ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...
" and later with the
Fania All-Stars.
*
Ruth Fernández,
Contralto Bolero
Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...
singer and singer of up tempo songs.
Won numerous awards internationally during her lifetime. Was also elected to the
Puerto Rico Senate.
*
Héctor Lavoe, Salsa and Bolero singer.
Credited with starting the salsa movement in the early 1970s in collaboration with The
Fania All-Stars.
*"
Lunna", Pop and Jazz singer.
Director of the TV show "
Objetivo Fama".
*
Ednita Nazario, Pop and rock singer.
Has recorded over 50 albums, DVDs, and compilations.
*
Ismael Quintana, Salsa singer and composer.
Recipient of the 1966 "Most Popular Latin Singer of the Year" award at the
Palladium Ballroom. Also sang with The
Fania All-Stars.
*
Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez, Salsa singer. Sang with The
Fania All-Stars and also had a solo career.
*
Draco Rosa,
Menudo musician and singer.
Multiple-time
Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
and
Latin Grammy winning musician, singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, poet and entrepreneur.
*
Carmín Vega
Carmín Vega (born 6 September 1955) is a Puerto Rican singer and comedian. She has been called "the woman with a thousand voices and a thousand faces".
Early years
Carmín Vega (birth name: Carmen María Vega Correa) was born in Mercedita, Pu ...
, singer and comedian.
Known as "The woman with a thousand voices and a thousand faces".
*
Juan Vélez, singer, musician and songwriter.
Winner of the
fourth season of Objetivo Fama.
Opera
*
Lizzie Graham
Lizzie Graham (c. 1844–1927) was a late 19th-century Puerto Rican soprano singer from Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Early years
Lizzie Graham (born Sara Isabel Spencer y Vorgt) was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico in about 1844. Her parents were Mr. Spence ...
, Soprano singer
Trained 19th century international soprano singer
Amalia Paoli.
*
Amalia Paoli, soprano opera singer.
*
Antonio Paoli, tenor opera singer
First person in world history to record an entire opera
*
Melliangee Pérez
Melliangee Pérez-Maldonado (born ca. 21 June 1976) is a Puerto Rican lyric soprano singer of classical music and opera as well as other music genres.
Early years
Pérez was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. She graduated from Dr. Pila High Schoo ...
, soprano opera singer
Recipient of
UNESCO's Soprano of the Year award.
*
Graciela Rivera, soprano opera singer
First Puerto Rican to sing a lead role at the
Metropolitan Opera.
Theatrical arts
*
Luis Torres Nadal
Luis Torres Nadal (4 July 1943 – 15 May 1986) was a Puerto Rican playwright, poet, educator, actor, choreographer, and theatrical director.
Early years
Torres Nadal was born at 67 Aurora Street, in the Ponce Historic Zone on 4 July 1943. ...
, playwright, poet, educator, actor, choreographer, and theatrical director.
Criminals and outlaws
*
Antonio Correa CottoNotorious 1930s outlaw.
Diplomats
*
Teodoro Moscoso
José Teodoro Moscoso Mora
Rico Puerto Rico. Noticel. June 15, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2012. ...
, diplomat and civil servant
Former U.S. Ambassador to
Venezuela and head of
Alliance for Progress
Educators
*
Alfredo M. Aguayo
Alfredo (, ) is a cognate of the Anglo-Saxon name Alfred and a common Italian, Galician, Portuguese and Spanish language personal name.
People with the given name include:
*Alfredo (born 1946), Brazilian footballer born as Alfredo Mostarda Fil ...
, educator and writer
Established the first laboratory of child psychology at the University of Havana
*
Carlos Albizu Miranda,
psychologist
A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...
and educator
Founder of
Albizu University.
*
María Teresa Babín Cortés
María Teresa Babín Cortés (May 30, 1910- December 19, 1989) was a Puerto Rican educator, literary critic, and essayist. , educator, literary critic, and essayist
Author of ''"Panorama de la Cultura Puertorriqueña"'', among others.
*
Hemeterio Colón Warens, educator, land surveyor, and mayor of
CayeyFounded Colegio Central Ponceño in 1883.
*
Jaime L. Drew
Jaime Leopoldo Drew Henriquez (16 September 1876 – 14 April 1948) was an early twentieth-century Puerto Rican educator, civil servant, writer and engineer from Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Early years
Jaime Leopoldo Drew Henriquez was born in Barrio Pl ...
, educator, civil servant, writer and engineer
Author of ''"Libro de Poemas en Ingles y Espanol"'', among others.
*
Antonio García Padilla
Antonio García Padilla (born 1954 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican scholar. He served as the president of University of Puerto Rico from 2001 to 2009.
Personal life
Garcia Padilla was born in Ponce and raised in the nearby town of ...
, scholar, and civil servant
President of the
University of Puerto Rico.
*
Manuel González Pató
Manuel González Pató (3 March 1913 – 10 November 1973) was a Puerto Rican educator, writer, and sportsman.
Early years
González Pató was born in barrio Maragüez, Ponce, Puerto Rico, on 3 March 1913. He was the third of four children. ...
, educator, writer, and sportsman.
Puerto Rico National Olympic team coach
*
Domingo Marrero Navarro, educator and writer
Author of award-winning ''"El Centauro: Persona y Pensamiento de Ortega y Gasset"'' (
Institute of Puerto Rican Culture)
*
Lolita Tizol, educator
Taught music for a meager $50 per month to an entire generation of Puerto Rican children.
Governors
*
Luis A. Ferré
Don Luis Alberto Ferré Aguayo (February 17, 1904 October 20, 2003) was a Puerto Rican engineer, industrialist, politician, philanthropist, and a patron of the arts. He was the governor of Puerto Rico from 1969 to 1973. He was the founder of the ...
Also an industrialist and philanthropist. Founder of the
Museo de Arte de Ponce and
Ponce Cement, Inc.
*
Rafael Hernández ColónTwo-time governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and, at 35, Puerto Rico's youngest governor ever.
*
Roberto Sánchez VilellaGovernor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
First Ladies of Puerto Rico
*
Conchita DapenaFirst Lady of Puerto Rico (1965–1966).
*
Rosario Ferré
Rosario Ferré Ramírez de Arellano (September 28, 1938 – February 18, 2016) was a Puerto Rican writer, poet, and essayist.
...
First Lady of Puerto Rico (1970–1972).
*
Lila Mayoral WirshingYoungest First Lady of Puerto Rico (1973–1977, 1985–1992).
*
Lorenza Ramírez de ArellanoFirst Lady of Puerto Rico (1969–1970).
Historians
*
Silvia Álvarez Curbelo
Silvia Álvarez Curbelo (born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in 1940) is a Puerto Rican historian, and writer. She is best known for her book ''Un país del porvenir: el afán de modernidad en Puerto Rico (Siglo XIX)''.
Early years
Álvarez Curbelo ...
, architectural and cultural historian
Founding member of the Puerto Rican Association of Historians, and director of the Center for Communications Research at the University of Puerto Rico.
*
Francisco Lluch Mora
Francisco José Antonio Lluch Mora (7 May 1924 – 26 October 2006) was a Puerto Rican historian, poet, writer, school teacher and college professor. He is best known for his legendary book ''"Orígenes y Fundación de Ponce y Otras Noticias ...
, historian
Wrote ''"Orígenes y Fundación de Ponce y Otras Noticias Relativas a su Desarrollo Urbano, Demográfico y Cultural (Siglos XVI-XIX)"''.
*
Ramón Marín, historian
Wrote the classical work: ''"Las fiestas populares de Ponce."''
*
Antonio Mirabal, political historian and poet
Author of ''"De Rosas a Trujillo: estudio histórico comparativo de las tiranías en América."'' Long-time chief archivist at
Archivo Historico de Ponce
*
Eduardo Neumann Gandía
Eduardo Neumann Gandía (26 April 1852 – 9 September 1913), was one of Puerto Rico's most accomplished historians. He is particularly well known for his nineteenth century book ''Verdadera y Auténtica Historia de la Ciudad de Ponce: des ...
, historian
Author of ''"Verdadera y Auténtica Historia de la Ciudad de Ponce."''
*
Andrés Ramos Mattei, sugar industry historian
Said to be "the undisputed authority" on the subject of Puerto Rico's sugar industry.
*
Gladys Esther Tormes González
Gladys Esther Tormes González (born 19 September 1933) (a.k.a. “Maja”) is a historian and head archivist of the Archivo Histórico de Ponce (English: Ponce Historical Archive), in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Serving since 1974, she is the longest- ...
, historian
Head archivist and longest-serving archivist at the ''"Archivo Historico de Ponce"''.
Journalists
*
Carmen Dominicci, news anchor.
*
Juan González, journalist
Columnist for New York's
Daily News, and co-host the radio and television program
Democracy Now!.
*
Washington Lloréns, journalist, writer,
linguist, and scholar.
*
Jorge L. Ramos
Jorge L. Ramos (born March 25, 1950) is a retired eight-time Emmy Award winning senior anchor of the evening news on Telemundo's New York City affiliate, WNJU. A pioneer in the field of Spanish-language broadcasting, Ramos began his career in ...
, news anchor
Emmy Award-winning New York City television news anchor.
*
Ramón Enrique Torres
Ramón Enrique Torres Guzmán (October 26, 1952 – December 13, 2023) was a Puerto Rican reporter, journalist, and news anchor. He served as the news anchor of ''Informe 79'' from Mega TV (U.S. TV network), Mega TV Puerto Rico. He formerly serv ...
, news anchor.
Judges, law enforcement and firefighters
*
Jeannette Ramos
Jeannette Ramos Buonomo (July 3, 1932 – November 24, 2021) was a Puerto Rican judge and First Lady of Puerto Rico from her marriage to Governor Roberto Sánchez Vilella in 1967 until 1969. She was the second wife of former Governor Sánchez V ...
, Judge, Puerto Rico Court of Appeals
Puerto Rico district judge and a First Lady of Puerto Rico (1967–1969).
*
Pedro Toledo
Pedro Toledo Dávila (1943December 23, 2012) was a former superintendent of the Puerto Rico Police. He served for two non-consecutive terms under two different administrations. Toledo was a former attorney and FBI agent.
Early years and studies ...
,
Puerto Rico Police Commissioner
A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something).
In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...
Main
negotiator during the 1987
Atlanta Prison Riots.
*
Raúl Gándara-Cartagena
Raul, Raúl and Raül are the Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan forms of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph. They are cognates of the French Raoul.
Raul, Raúl or Raül may re ...
, Fire Commissioner
The first and longest-serving Fire Commissioner in Puerto Rico.
Military
*
Agüeybaná (Great Sun), Supreme Taíno chief
Supreme Cacique of Puerto Rico who welcomed
Juan Ponce de León
Juan Ponce de León (, , , ; 1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and '' conquistador'' known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida and for serving as the first governor of Puerto Rico. He was born in Santervá ...
to the island.
*
Agüeybaná II, Supreme
cacique
A ''cacique'' (Latin American ; ; feminine form: ''cacica'') was a tribal chieftain of the Taíno people, the indigenous inhabitants at European contact of the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. The term is a Spa ...
of the entire island of "
Borikén
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 ...
"
Led the
Taínos in the fight against
Juan Ponce de León
Juan Ponce de León (, , , ; 1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and '' conquistador'' known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida and for serving as the first governor of Puerto Rico. He was born in Santervá ...
and the Spanish conquistadores in the
Taíno rebellion of 1511.
*
Ramón Colón-López,
chief master sergeant, U.S. Air Force
First and only Latino among the first six airmen to be awarded the
Air Force Combat Action Medal
The Combat Action Medal (CAM) is a decoration of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force to recognize airmen and guardians for active participation in ground or air combat.
The CAM was first awarded on June 12, 2007 as the Air ...
.
*
Antonio J. Ramos
Brigadier General Antonio J. Ramos (born 1946) was an officer of the United States Air Force. He was the first Hispanic to serve as commander, Air Force Security Assistance Center, Air Force Materiel Command, and dual-hatted as Assistant to the Co ...
,
brigadier general, U.S. Air Force
First Latino to serve as commander, Air Force Security Assistance Center, Air Force Materiel Command.
*
José Antonio Muñiz lieutenant colonel, U.S. Air Force
Co-founder of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard.
*
Horacio Rivero, admiral, U.S. Navy
First Puerto Rican and second Hispanic to become admiral (four-star) in the U.S. Navy. Commander of the American fleet that effected the blockade of the Soviet ships during the 1962
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...
.
*
Eurípides Rubio, captain, U.S. Army
Posthumously awarded the
Medal of Honor for his actions at
Tay Ninh Province in the
Republic of Vietnam on 8 November 1966.
*
Raúl G. Villaronga
Raúl G. Villaronga (April 1, 1938 – March 20, 2021) was a United States Army officer who was the first Puerto Rican mayor of a Texas city. He served as mayor of Killeen, Texas for three consecutive terms, from 1992 to 1998.
Early years
Ra ...
First Puerto Rican to be elected mayor in the state of Texas. (Mayor of Killeen, Texas).
*
Luis R. Visot, major general, U. S. Army
Chief of Staff of the United States Army Reserve.
Physicians, scientists and inventors
*
Carlos E. Chardón Palacios
Carlos may refer to:
Places
;Canada
* Carlos, Alberta, a locality
;United States
* Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community
* Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County
* Carlos, Minnesota, a small city
* Carlos, West Virginia
;Elsewhere ...
, mycologist
Father of Puerto Rican mycology and first Puerto Rican appointed as Chancellor of
University of Puerto Rico.
*
Martín Corchado, physician and medical researcher
Was also president of the
Autonomist Party of Puerto Rico.
*
Manuel de la Pila Iglesias, physician and medical pioneer
Introduced the first EKG and X-ray machines to Puerto Rico. Considered to be "one of the giants of Puerto Rican medicine".
*
José N. Gándara
Dr. José Narciso Gándara Cartagena (August 26, 1907 – October 11, 1954) was a Puerto Rican physician and public servant. He led medical personnel in the treatment of the hundreds of wounded of the Ponce massacre that occurred on Palm Sunda ...
, medical director at
Hospital Tricoche
Albergue Caritativo Tricoche or Hospital Tricoche (English: ''Tricoche Charitable Shelter'' or ''Tricoche Hospital'') is a historic building located on Calle Tricoche street in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in the city's historic district. It was designe ...
Lead physician helping victims of the
Ponce massacre, and
witness at the trials of the accused
Nacionalistas. Was Secretary of Health of Puerto Rico. Co-founder of the
Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico.
*
Joxel García,
Assistant Secretary for Health,
First Puerto Rican to be appointed
Assistant Secretary for Health,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is " ...
.
*
Julio J. Henna
Julio J. Henna (24 May 1848 – 2 February 1924) was a Puerto Rican physician and political figure. Henna participated in the founding of the Puerto Rico Section of the Cuban Revolutionary Party in New York as part of the section's faction tha ...
, physician and political activist
Co-founder of New York City's
French Hospital.
*
Gerónimo Lluberas
Gerónimo "Gerry" Lluberas (January 7, 1956 – May 7, 2003) was a Puerto Rican physician, humanitarian, writer and composer. His medical mission work in Haiti led to the foundation of the nonprofit HERO (Health & Education Relief Organization ...
, physician, writer, educator, medical missionary
One of the first physicians in the United States and Puerto Rico to use the
Prosorba column to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
*
Rafael López Nussa, physician and public servant
Pioneered heart surgeries in Puerto Rico.
*
Rafael Pujals
Rafael Pujals Cárdenas (ca. 1830 – 23 April 1889) was a late 19th-century Puerto Rican physician practicing in Ponce, Puerto Rico, that excelled as a civic leader.
Physician
Pujals Cárdenas was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico, and graduated f ...
, physician, civic leader and political activist
First physician with a medical degree in the city and medical director at both
Hospital de Damas and
Hospital Tricoche
Albergue Caritativo Tricoche or Hospital Tricoche (English: ''Tricoche Charitable Shelter'' or ''Tricoche Hospital'') is a historic building located on Calle Tricoche street in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in the city's historic district. It was designe ...
.
Politicians
*
Pedro Albizu CamposPresident and principal leader of the
Puerto Rican Nationalist Party.
*
Román Baldorioty de CastroConsidered "The Father of Puerto Rico's Autonomy".
*
Pedro ColónMember of the Wisconsin State Assembly.
*
Federico Degetau
Federico Degetau y González (December 5, 1862 – February 20, 1914) was a Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican politician, lawyer, writer, author, and the first Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico to the United States House of Representatives.
Early ye ...
The first
Resident Commissioner to the United States.
*
Manuel V. Domenech
Manuel V. Domenech Ferrer (23 March 1869 – 15 March 1942) was a Puerto Rican politician and engineer. He was mayor of Ponce in 1904, and designer of Casa Armstrong-Poventud, Rosaly-Batiz House, and the 1898 Casas Gemelas (Twin Houses) built ...
Mayor of Ponce. Member of the
Puerto Rico House of Representatives. Also an engineer and civil servant.
*
Maurice Ferre Maurice may refer to:
People
*Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr
*Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor
*Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and Lo ...
Former Mayor of Miami, Florida.
*
Marially González HuertasVice-president of the Senate of Puerto Rico.
*
María de Pérez Almiroty
Maria may refer to:
People
* Mary, mother of Jesus
* Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages
Place names Extraterrestrial
*170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877
*Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, da ...
First woman elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico
*
Ernesto Ramos Antonini Former Speaker of Puerto Rico's House of Representatives.
*
Luis Ernesto Ramos Yordán
Luis Ernesto Ramos Yordán (February 5, 1915 – January 27, 2005) was a Puerto Rican physician, legislator, and President of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico from 1973 to 1977.
Early years
Ramos Yordán was born in Ponce, Puer ...
President of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives
*
Peter Rivera
Peter Rivera (born November 12, 1946) is an American politician who represented District 76 in the New York State Assembly, which comprises West Farms, Van Nest, Castle Hill and Parkchester. He later served as the New York State Commissioner ...
Member of the New York State Assembly.
*
Larry Seilhamer Rodríguez
Lawrence N. "Larry" Seilhamer Rodríguez (born December 13, 1954) is a Puerto Rican politician who was the Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. He is affiliated with the pro-statehood New Progressive Party (PNP), and was a member of the Senate o ...
Speaker of the Senate of Puerto Rico. Also basketball player in
BSN.
*
Rafael Cordero Santiago, long-serving mayor of Ponce; elected in 1989, and re-elected to three additional 4-year terms. Died in office.
Sportspeople
Baseball players and coaches
*
Roberto AlomarFormer baseball player, MLB All-Star, third Puerto Rican inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame (2011).
*
Pedro Miguel CaratiniBaseball player.
*
Orlando CepedaBaseball player and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
*
Francisco "Pancho" CoímbreNegro league baseball
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...
All-Star player.
*
Carlos CorreaMinnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
player.
*
Luis DeLeónFormer
Major League Baseball pitcher for the
San Diego Padres and the
Seattle Mariners.
*
Coco LaboyMLB player with
San Francisco Giants,
Montreal Expos and the
St. Louis Cardinals.
*
Ricky LedéeNine-year veteran in MLB playing as an
outfielder.
*
Javy LópezFormer
catcher in
Major League Baseball with the
Atlanta Braves, the
Baltimore Orioles and the
Boston Red Sox.
*
Felix MaldonadoMLB baseball manager.
*
Pepe MangualMLB player with the
Montreal Expos and
New York Mets.
*
Paquito MontanerFirst Puerto Rican baseball player to throw a "no-hitter" in Puerto Rican baseball.
*
Millito NavarroFirst Puerto Rican to play in
Negro leagues and the
American Negro League's last surviving member.
*
Luis QuiñonesFormer
Major League Baseball player for the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
,
San Francisco Giants,
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
,
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
and the
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
.
*
Edwin RodriguezFormer
Florida Marlins team manager.
*
Benito SantiagoFormer 20-season
catcher in
Major League Baseball.
*
Félix TorresMLB player with
Los Angeles Angels,
Cincinnati Redlegs and
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
.
*
Javier VázquezFormer MLB pitcher.
*
Otto Vélez
Otoniel "Otto" Vélez Franceschi (born November 29, 1950), nicknamed "Otto the Swatto", is a Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball outfielder who played from to .
Major league career
New York Yankees (1973–1976)
Vélez signed with the ...
MLB player with
New York Yankees,
Toronto Blue Jays, and
Cleveland Indians.
*
Enrique "Coco" Vicéns Basketball player with
Leones de Ponce. Also a politician.
Basketball players
*
Juan "Pachín" Vicéns
Juan "Pachín" Vicéns Sastre (September 7, 1934 – February 18, 2007) was a Puerto Rican basketball player. Vicéns was famous for his performance with the Leones de Ponce and with the Puerto Rican national basketball team. During the 1959 ...
Basketball player. Led the
Lenoes de Ponce team to six championships.
*
César Bocachica
César Bocachica (born 28 July 1938) is a Puerto Rican former basketball player who competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Bocachica is from Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce (, , , ) is both a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto R ...
Olympic basketball player.
*
Manolo Cintrón
Manuel "Manolo" Cintrón Vega (born January 4, 1963, in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is a former Puerto Rican professional basketball player, who for 11 seasons in the 1980s and early 1990s played with several teams in the National Basketball League in ...
Former Puerto Rico Basketball league player. Also managed Puerto Rico National team to medals at multiple international games.
*
Bobby Joe Hatton
Roberto José Hatton Negrón (born 11 October 1976) is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player. Hatton has most notably played for Marist College in the NCAA and for the Arecibo Captains, San Germán Athletics, and Ponce Lions in ...
Puerto Rico basketball league and Puerto Rico Olympic basketball team player.
*
Miguel "Ali" Berdiel
Miguel Ali Berdiel (born December 27, 1983) is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player for Leones de Ponce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). Berdiel has played in the NCAA, CBA, the NBA G League, and the BSN. Internationally, B ...
Puerto Rico professional basketball league player and National Olympic team medalist.
Boxers
*
José "Chegüi" Torres WBA light heavyweight champion and
International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee.
*
Carlos Ortíz Three-time world boxing champion.
*
Alex Sánchez Light flyweight boxer and
WBO
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) is an organization which sanctions professional boxing bouts. It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups, alongside the World Boxing ...
's world Strawweight championship.
*
Mario Santiago2018 World Boxing Council Caribbean Featherweight champion in 2018.
*
Juan Carazo
Juan Carazo Serrano (born October 10, 1964 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is a former boxer from Caguas, Puerto Rico.
Carazo was considered to be a boxing reincarnation of Wilfred Benítez or Wilfredo Gómez by many of his fans, and he won his first fi ...
Two time world championship challenger, born in Ponce.
Other sportspeople
*
Ricardo Busquets, Olympic swimmer.
*
Javier Culson
Javier Culson Pérez (born 25 July 1984) is a Puerto Rican athlete and Olympiad bronze medalist who specialises in the 400-metre hurdles. After becoming involved with the discipline in his late teen years, he entered the podium in some regiona ...
, track and field athlete
Olympic medalist specializing in the 400-metre hurdles.
*
Germán Figueroa, professional wrestler.
*
Juan "Papo" Franceschi
Juan "Papo" Franceschi (12 January 1947 – 20 October 1990), was a Puerto Rican track and field athlete from Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Biography
Juan "Papo" Franceschi was born in Barrio San Anton, Ponce, Puerto Rico, on 12 January 1947. Franceschi ...
, track and field athlete
Gold medalist at
Central American and Caribbean Games
*
Edgardo Guilbe
Edgardo Guilbe Alomar (born 18 March 1966 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican former sprinter who specialized in the 200 metres. His personal best time was 20.53 seconds, achieved in July 1989 in San Juan.
He won the gold medal at the 1 ...
, track and field athlete
Olympic sprinter.
*
Julio Enrique Monagas
Julio Enrique Monagas (1900/1903 – 14 July 1984) was a Puerto Rican sports editor and administrator considered the father of Olympic Games, Olympic sports in Puerto Rico. Through his efforts, Puerto Rico was admitted into the Olympic Games in ...
, sportsman, public servant and civic leader.
Considered "The father of Olympic sports in Puerto Rico."
*
Francisco Rosa Rivera, professional
bodybuilder.
*
Félix Serrallés
Félix Juan Serrallés IV (born June 24, 1992) is a Puerto Rican racing driver. After gathering two second-place finishes in the Caribbean Karting Championship, Serrallés joined the Skip Barber National Championship and finished third. Afterwar ...
, professional
racing driver
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
.
*
Debora Seilhamer
Debora Seilhamer (born October 4, 1985) is a volleyball player from Ponce, Puerto Rico. Seilhamer made her debut with the Puerto Rico women's national volleyball team at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was named ' ...
, Olympic volleyball player.
*
Jesse Vassallo, swimmer
Former president (2004-2008), Puerto Rico Swimming Federation and member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
*
Ivelisse Vélez, professional wrestler
Lucha Underground
Lucha Underground was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2014 by United Artists Media Group. Partly owned by Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), ''Lucha Underground'' also refers to its weekly television program, which featured c ...
.
Visual artists
*
Albizu, Olga, abstract expressionist painter.
Her works include album covers for
Stan Getz
Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of ...
*
Escobar, Elizam, painter and political activist.
Dean of the Painting Department at the
Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
*
Irizarry, Epifanio, painter and educator.
His works include "Flamboyan" (1972).
*
Penne, María Luisa, painter, educator, and graphic artist.
*
Pou, Miguel, painter.
Patrons include
Museo de Arte de Ponce,
Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art and
Puerto Rico Museum of Art
The Museum of Art of Puerto Rico (Spanish: ''Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico'', abbreviated MAPR) is an art museum in Santurce, a barrio of San Juan, Puerto Rico, with 18 exhibition halls. The museum is located in a historic building, formerly occup ...
.
*
Rios Rey, Rafael, muralist.
Patrons include
Ponce YMCA Organization,
Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño, and
Puerto Rico Iron Works
Puerto Rico Iron Works (founded as ''Porto Rico Iron Works'') was a heavy industry iron foundry located in barrio La Playa in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The company was founded in 1918. The foundry "was Puerto Rico's most prolific steel bridge fa ...
.
*
Torres Martinó, José A., painter.
Co-founder of the
Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Diseño de Puerto Rico.
*
Quiñones, Lee,
graffiti painter and actor
Patrons include
El Museo del Barrio
El Museo del Barrio, often known simply as El Museo (the museum), is a museum at 1230 Fifth Avenue in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is located near the northern end of Fifth Avenue's Museum Mile, immediately north of the Museum of the Cit ...
,
Whitney Museum of Art,
Museum of the City of New York and the
Groninger Museum
*
Torres, Wichie,
Oil canvas painter.
Exponent of the
costumbrismo movement.''
Table summary by year of birth
The following sortable table is a summary list of notable Ponceños and Ponceñistas arranged chronologically by year of birth.
See also
*
List of Puerto Ricans
*
List of tourist attractions in Ponce, Puerto Rico
{{DEFAULTSORT:List of people from Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce
People