The U.S. Census Bureau continually strives to ensure an 

accurate count of the people of the United States. For this 

reason, it has always embraced the hiring of a diverse 

workforce that is representative of the local communities. In 

the middle of the 19th century, the United States expanded 

west into areas formerly governed by Spain and Mexico. Since 

many of the citizens and local officials only spoke Spanish, the 

Census Office quickly realized that it needed to employ workers 

fluent in the language. The establishment of a permanent 

Census Bureau in 1903 and increased immigration from Cuba 

and Central and South America expanded the need for Spanishspeaking employees both in the field and at headquarters.

Luis Munoz Morales was born on March 3, 1865, in Cayey, 

Puerto Rico, to Manuel Munoz Bowin and Dolores Morales 

Ochoa. After attending primary school and earning his 

undergraduate degree at the Colegio de los Padres Jesuitas in 

Santurce, Puerto Rico, Luis travelled to Spain where he earned 

his law degree in 1886. 

While in Spain, Luis married Marcela Retuerto 

Rodriguez, of Valladolid, on April 14, 1888. 

After receiving his doctorate in philosophy and 

arts from the Universidad Central de Madrid

in 1887, Luis returned to Puerto Rico to 

practice law. Luis settled in his native Cayey,

where he served as district attorney and 

mayor from 1893 to 1895. In 1895, Luis also 

became a public notary. 

The beginning of Luis’ professional career coincided with an 

increased drive for Puerto Rican autonomy. In 1868, the 

people of Lares rose up against Spanish rule, which led to 

reforms such as the abolition of slavery in 1873. As the 19th

century wore on, increased unrest prompted Spain to grant 

Puerto Rico autonomy in November of 1897. One of the key 

members of the autonomy movement, Luis Munoz Rivera, 

leader of the Union/Federalist party, was Luis Morales’ 

cousin, and father of the first democratic governor of Puerto 

Rico.

 

PuertoRican Jurist

Luis Munoz Morales’ passport 

application photo, 1924

La Democracia (San Juan, Puerto Rico) September 14, 1899

Morales’ 1910 Census
Following the momentum of the movement and the 

example of his family, Luis was an ardent Puerto 

Rican patriot—he led the Union party in Cayey. In

1898, the town elected him to the short-lived 

autonomous legislature. When the United States 

went to war with Spain in 1898, many Puerto Ricans 

saw a chance to incease their self governance. After

the United States gained control of the island, the 

new government conducted a a census to gain an 

accurate picture of the territory. As the search for 

competent and local supervisors went underway, Luis 

quickly surfaced as a choice for supervisor. With his 

dedication to his community and significant work experience and education, Luis’ qualifications 

made him a prime candidate for the post. 

The United States War Department, which had charge of the governance 

of Puerto Rico, also spearheaded the 1899 Puerto Rican census. The War 

Department hired Harrison Dingman, an experienced census taker who 

supervised the enumeration of the District of Columbia in 1890 and 1900, 

to spearhead the process. Dingman travelled to Puerto Rico, where he 

assigned and trained the supervisors. Luis’ responsibilities as supervisor

started with the division of his department, Guayama, into 96 

enumeration districts, for which he then had to hire, train, and supervise 

enumerators and agents. As the census returns came in, Luis reviewed 

them for accuracy before forwarding them to the census headquarters in 

San Juan. Finally, Luis received cash from the War Department disburser 

in order to pay his enumerators, agents and expenses. Enumeration for 

both population and agricultural surveys commenced on November 10, 

1899, and finished on December 20—exactly according to schedule, 

despite the after-effects of both the Spanish-American War and a 

particularly disasterous August hurricane.

After his successful work with 

the census, Luis continued 

with his career in public 

service and law. He served as 

a school administrator in 

1905, and later as the 

president of the school board 

in Cayey. In 1906, Luis joined the Board of Trustees of

the University of Puerto Rico school system. From 

1907 to 1910, Luis sat on the bench as judge for the 

District Court of Guayama. In addition to writing 

dozens of books about law, Luis also held a 

membership with the American Bar Association, and 

served as president of the Association of Puerto Rican 

Lawyers in 1914 and of the Puerto Rico Bar Association in 1917. During this time, he also served 

on the legal advisory board to the governor, Arthur Yager, who ushered through the JonesShafroth Act, which conferred U.S. citizenship to the residents of Puerto Rico born after April 25, 

1898.

Luis continued writing his seminal work on the Puerto Rican Civil Code and began to focus on 

educating the next generation of lawyers. From 1932 to 1941, Luis served as dean of the 

University of Puerto Rico Law School. He published a monthly magazine, Mundo Libre, from 1943 

to 1945, and kept writing and publishing books until he passed away on May 14, 1950, in San Juan. 

The U.S. Census Bureau is grateful for Luis’ contributions to its mission, Puerto Rico, and the 

United States.

Journal of Race Development (January 1911) Vol. 1, No. 3

1899 Census of Puerto Rico 

photograph

Luis, left, and the enumerators of Cayey in 1899

HB-17-0025