H. Res. 433
In the House of Representatives, U.S.,
March 16, 2004.
Whereas Luis A. Ferre´ was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on
February 17, 1904, soon after Spain ceded control of
Puerto Rico to the United States in 1898;
Whereas in 1917, when Luis Ferre´ was 13 years old, the peo-
ple of Puerto Rico were granted United States citizen-
ship;
Whereas Luis Ferre´’s respect for the United States was fos-
tered by his years as a college student at the Massachu-
setts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachu-
setts;
Whereas Luis Ferre´ returned to Puerto Rico with a degree
in engineering and a firm belief in Puerto Rican state-
hood;
Whereas Luis Ferre´ built his father’s business, Puerto Rico
Iron Works, into a hugely successful industrial enter-
prise;
Whereas Luis Ferre´, who entered politics at a propitious time
in the island’s history, was a delegate to the Constitu-
tional Convention in 1951 and was elected to the Puerto
Rican House of Representatives in 1953;
•HRES 433 EH
Whereas Luis Ferre´ saw the opportunity to advocate Puerto
Rican statehood in 1967, the year of the first political
status plebiscite on the island;
Whereas, although Puerto Rico remained a commonwealth
after the 1967 plebiscite, Luis Ferre´ utilized the plebi-
scite to mobilize statehood forces and to establish a new
political entity, the New Progressive Party;
Whereas in 1968 Luis Ferre´ ran for Governor of Puerto Rico
as the New Progressive Party candidate and won a close
race;
Whereas Luis Ferre´ served as Governor for one term, from
1969 to 1973;
Whereas, as Governor, Luis Ferre´ ordered the liberation of
all political prisoners incarcerated in Puerto Rican pris-
ons as an act of national reconciliation;
Whereas when Luis Ferre´ was elected Governor he launched
an effort to address what he called ‘‘the inequalities of
Puerto Rican society’’, with initiatives to grant property
titles to people living on public lands and to build mul-
tiple housing structures in rural and urban areas of
Puerto Rico to provide homes for low-income families;
Whereas, during his term as Governor, Luis Ferre´ signed
into law several pieces of social legislation that contrib-
uted to the betterment of Puerto Rican workers, includ-
ing pay increases for teachers and policemen as well as
other public employees and ‘‘Christmas bonuses’’, where-
by workers received a check for at least 4 percent of their
annual salary during the holiday season;
Whereas, as Governor, Luis Ferre´ appointed the first woman
to a cabinet-level position, selecting Julita Rivera de
Vicenty as Secretary of Labor of Puerto Rico;
•HRES 433 EH
Whereas Luis Ferre´ made great contributions to Puerto
Rican cultural life, founding the Ponce Museum of Arts
and giving scholarships to artists to further their studies
in disciplines such as painting, visual arts, and music;
Whereas, throughout his life over the past century, Luis
Ferre´ became an honored elder statesman and philan-
thropist;
Whereas Luis Ferre´ is one of four Puerto Ricans who have
received the Presidential Medal of Freedom; and
Whereas Luis Ferre´ passed away on October 21, 2003, at the
age of 99: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) honors Luis A. Ferre´ for his outstanding polit-
ical leadership, business savvy, advocacy for social jus-
tice, and great love and support of the arts; and
(2) expresses condolences on his passing to his wife,
Tiody de Jesus, and his two children, Antonio Luis and
Rosario, and grandchildren.
Attest:
Clerk.