Friends and admirers mark what would have been Luis A. Ferré’s 122nd birthday

By THE STAR STAFF

A group of friends of the late Gov. Luis Alberto Ferré Aguayo and his widow, Tiody de Jesús, will gather at Las Mercedes Cemetery in Ponce to commemorate what would have been the former governor’s 122nd birthday today February 17.

Pro-statehood advocate and attorney Gregorio Igartúa, a close friend of Ferré, is scheduled to give an eulogy during the ceremony. In remarks shared with The STAR, Igartúa recalled hearing that former U.S. President George H. W. Bush once said that if Ferré had lived on the mainland, “he would have been president or senator.” 

Ferré, often described as a “Renaissance Man,” was widely known for his extraordinary versatility: he was an engineer, businessman, philanthropist, politician, musician, and devoted patron of the arts. He served as the third democratically elected governor of Puerto Rico from 1969 to 1973 and was a founding figure of the New Progressive Party (PNP), which advocates for statehood.

Born in Ponce on February 17, 1904, Ferré pursued engineering studies at MIT, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1924 and his master’s in 1925, later completing musical studies at the New England Conservatory of Music. After returning to Puerto Rico, he transformed his family’s company into one of the island’s most productive enterprises and later purchased the newspaper El Día, which eventually became El Nuevo Día.

Ferré’s political career began in the 1940s and included roles as a constitutional delegate, representative, gubernatorial candidate, senator, and president of the Senate. His leadership during the 1967 political-status plebiscite helped spark the creation of the PNP. During his governorship, he championed property rights for residents of public parcels, secured the vote for 18-year-olds, expanded federal assistance to Puerto Ricans, and oversaw major infrastructure improvements, including much of the expressway linking San Juan and Ponce. He was also a former senator. 

Igartua said Ferre was a compassionate man, who visited nationalist Lolita Lebrón in jail. He collaborated with other politicians, helping the late Rafael Hernández Colón meet with former President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. He was also romantic and tender to his now widow. 

Beyond politics, Ferré was a towering cultural figure. He founded the Museo de Arte de Ponce in 1949, which grew from 71 paintings to more than 3,000 and became one of the Caribbean’s most important museums. He was also one of the founders of the Festival Casals and was recognized as a talented pianist who recorded several instrumental albums.