Juan Cancel Ríos Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honorable
Juan Cancel Ríos
Order1:7th
Office1:President of the Senate of Puerto Rico
Term Start1:1973
Term End1:1976
Predecessor1:Rafael Hernández Colón
Successor1:Luis A. Ferré
State Senate:Puerto Rico
District:Arecibo
Term Start:1964
Term End:1976
Office2:Member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives from the 12th District
Term Start2:1961
Term End2:1964
Office3:President pro tempore of the Senate of Puerto Rico
Term Start3:1969
Term End3:1972
Predecessor3:Luis Negrón López
Successor3:Miguel Hernández Agosto
Office4:President of the Municipal Assembly of Barceloneta, Puerto Rico
Term Start4:1957
Term End4:1960
Birth Name:Juan José Cancel Ríos
Birth Date:20 August 1925
Birth Place:Barceloneta, Puerto Rico
Death Place:San Juan, Puerto Rico
Spouse:Carmen Leticia Alegría Estela
Children:Carmencita
María Magdalena
Juan Andrés
Profession:Politician, Attorney
Education:University of Puerto Rico (BA) University of Puerto Rico School of Law (JD)
Party:Popular Democratic Party
Allegiance:United States of America
Branch: United States Army
Serviceyears:1945–1947
Awards:is not set -->

Juan José Cancel Ríos (August 20, 1925 – August 26, 1992) was a Puerto Rican politician and lawyer who served as the 7th President of the Senate of Puerto Rico from 1973 to 1976.

Biography

Juan Cancel Ríos was born on August 20, 1925, in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico. His parents were Juan Cancel Matos and Salustiana Ríos. Cancel Ríos studied his elementary at Rafael Balseiro Maceira Elementary School in Barceloneta, graduating in 1940. He then went to José Severo Quiñonez High School in Manatí, graduating in 1944. He then went to study at the University of Puerto Rico, but after his first year, enrolled with the United States Army to serve during World War II. In 1947, he was honorably discharged by the Army and he returned to the University, graduating in 1953 with two degrees: Social Science and Law at the University of Puerto Rico School of Law . After passing the bar exam, he became an attorney.

Cancel showed interest in politics since his youth. From 1957 to 1960, he presided the Municipal Assembly of Barceloneta. In 1960, he was elected as a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives for the District of Manatí-Barceloneta. He served in that position from 1961 to 1964.

In 1964, Cancel was elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico for the District of Arecibo. He was reelected in 1968 and 1972. In 1973, his fellow senators chose him as President of the Senate. He did so until 1976.

Cancel was also a member of the Board of the Attorney's College, the Lions Club of Manatí, the American Legion, and other civic organizations. After retiring from politics, Cancel presided the Puerto Rico Baseball League.

Cancel Ríos was married to Carmen Leticia Alegría Estela, and they had three children together: Carmencita, María Magdalena and Juan Andrés. Cancel Ríos died on August 26, 1992, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Barceloneta Government Center is named after him.[1]

In 2023 Juan Cancel Ríos was posthumously inducted to the Puerto Rico Veterans Hall of Fame.[2]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.gobierno.pr/Barceloneta/bienesRaices/edificosEstructuras/CentroGobierno.htm Centro de Gobierno Juan Cancel Rios
  2. https://www.notiuno.com/noticias/exaltan-12-excombatientes-al-sal-n-de-la-fama-del-veterano/article_2159919c-8cc6-11ee-b299-4b434dc4ccb5.html