José Menéndez Monroig Explained

José Menéndez Monroig
State Senate:Puerto Rico
District:At-large
Term Start:1968
Term End:1976
Office2:Minority Leader of the Puerto Rico Senate
Term Start2:1973
Term End2:1977
Preceded2:Justo A. Méndez Rodriguez
Succeeded2:Miguel Hernández Agosto
Birth Date:June 22, 1917
Birth Place:Santurce, Puerto Rico
Death Place:San Juan, Puerto Rico
Spouse:Lyda Cortada Menendez
Children:Michele and Jose Menendez
Occupation:Lawyer, Politician, Senator
Allegiance: United States of America
Branch: United States Army
Rank: Captain
Battles:World War II

José María Menéndez Monroig (June 22, 1917  - April 4, 2003)[1] was a member of the Puerto Rico Senate serving from 1968 till 1976.[2] [3] After the 1972 Puerto Rican elections Carlos Romero Barcelo suggested that he be selected Minority Leader in the Senate instead of Justo Méndez who had occupied that position in the past four years.[4] He was one of the founders of Estadistas Unidos. He was a member of Phi Sigma Alpha fraternity.[5]

He was known to mentor future leaders of the New Progressive Party. He was also secretary of the party. While serving as Minority Leader of the Senate, his chief of staff was Rafael Rodríguez Aguayo, who went on to serve as Secretary General of the New Progressive Party and as an aide to governors Carlos Romero Barceló, Pedro Rosselló and Luis Fortuño. His administrative assistant, Carmencita Colón De Armas, went on to serve three governors, Romero, Pedro Rosselló and Ricardo Rosselló in high level positions within the Governor's Office, and a summer intern, Kenneth McClintock, succeeded him a quarter century later as Senate Minority Leader.

He served for six years in the United States Army, and was buried with military honors in the Puerto Rico National Cemetery.

Notes and References

  1. News: Arrieta Vila. Ruben. Recibe el último adiós José Menéndez Monroig. El Nuevo Día. es. 2003-04-08. 2012-10-18.
  2. Book: Bayrón Toro, Fernando . 2003 . Elecciones y Partidos Politicos de Puerto Rico 1809-2000 . Editorial Isla . . 0-9650185-0-4 . true . es . 249–256.
  3. Web site: PR Senators . senadopr.us . 2009-01-13 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090115160057/http://www.senadopr.us/Archivo_Digital/2009-2012/Interes_Publico/Senadores_PR%201917-2007.pdf . January 15, 2009 .
  4. Web site: Historias Piliticas . PNP.org. July 9, 2010.
  5. Web site: Capitulo Eterno . fisigmaalfa.org . 2008-04-27 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080415101900/http://www.fisigmaalfa.org/eterno.htm . 2008-04-15 .