First ladies and gentlemen of Puerto Rico

First Lady or First Gentleman of Puerto Rico (Spanish: Primera Dama o Primer Caballero de Puerto Rico) is the official title given by the government of Puerto Rico to the spouse of the governor of Puerto Rico or the relatives of the governor, should the holder be unmarried. The governor's spouse leads the Office of the First Lady or First Gentleman of Puerto Rico.

First Lady of Puerto Rico
Incumbent
Vacant
since January 2, 2021
StyleFirst Lady of Puerto Rico
(diplomatic)
The First Lady
(third person)
ResidenceLa Fortaleza
Inaugural holderInés Mendoza
Formation2 January 1949
WebsiteOfficial website

The role of first lady of Puerto Rico is vacant since the inauguration of Pedro Pierluisi on January 2, 2021.

Role

The position of First Lady or First Gentleman carries no official duty and receives no compensation for their service. They generally oversee the administration of La Fortaleza, the mansion that serves as the governor's residence and office. They also organize events and civic programs, and typically get involved in different charities and social causes.

Portraits

The official portraits of each first lady or first gentleman, beginning with Governor Jesús T. Piñero's wife, former first lady Aurelia Bou Ledesma, have been exhibited in La Fortaleza since Rafael Hernández Colón's administration. The portraits were originally located in the staircase that leads to the third floor private gubernatorial residence However, they have been relocated to several ceremonial rooms adjacent to the "Kennedy Bedroom" on the second floor of the executive mansion which is accessible to the public in most tours held at La Fortaleza.

First Lady Lucé Vela loaned the portraits to the Puerto Rico Department of State, to be seen by the public during two weeks in May 2009. The opening reception of the exhibit, presided by Secretary of State Kenneth McClintock, was attended by three governors (Luis Fortuño, Rafael Hernández Colón, and Carlos Romero Barceló), and four first ladies (Jeannette Ramos, Kate Donnelly, María Elena González, and Lucé Vela).

Most recently, a new official portrait of Lucé Vela was unveiled in La Fortaleza in July 2017.[1] Official portraits of former first lady Wilma Pastrana and her husband, former governor Alejandro García Padilla, both painted by the late artist Arnaldo Roche Rabell, were added to residence's collection in November 2016.[2]

First ladies and gentlemen of Puerto Rico (since 1949)
First Lady or First Gentleman Governor Date tenure began Date tenure ended Date of death (age) Notes
1 Inés Mendoza Luis Muñoz Marín January 2, 1949 January 2, 1965 (1990-08-13)August 13, 1990 (82) Mendoza was the second wife of Puerto Rico's first directly elected governor, Luis Muñoz Marín, whom she married in 1946. She remains the longest serving first lady in Puerto Rico's history.
2 Conchita Dapena Roberto Sánchez Vilella January 2, 1965 1967 (2003-02-25)February 25, 2003[3] First Lady Conchita Dapena and Governor Roberto Sánchez Vilella separated in March 1967 after his affair with his legislative aide, Jeannette Ramos Buonomo, became public.[4][5] They had been married for 31 years before their divorce.[4] Governor Sánchez Vilella's affair and divorce from First Lady Dapena is credited with ending his political career.[5]
3 Jeannette Ramos October 1967 January 2, 1969 November 24, 2021 (89) Ramos is the daughter of Ernesto Ramos Antonini. A former legislative aide of Governor Roberto Sánchez Vilella, Ramos' affair with the governor became public in March 1967 in a major political scandal.[4] Governor Sanchez Vilella and Ramos married in a civil ceremony in Humacao, Puerto Rico, in October 1967, just two days after his divorce from former First Lady Conchita Dapena was finalized.[4] This was Ramos' third marriage.[4] Sánchez Vilella's affair and remarriage to Ramos effectively ended his political career and led to a split within his Popular Democratic Party.[5][6]
4 Lorenza Ramírez de Arellano Luis A. Ferré
(father)		 January 2, 1969 March 5, 1970 March 5, 1970 First Lady Lorenza Ramírez de Arellano died in role on March 5, 1970. Their daughter, Rosario Ferré, fulfilled the duties of first lady for the remainder of her father's tenure.[7][8]
5 Rosario Ferré March 5, 1970 January 2, 1973 (2016-02-16)February 16, 2016 (77) The daughter of the late First Lady Lorenza Ramírez de Arellano and Governor Luis Ferré, Rosario Ferré fulfilled the duties of the First Lady from 1970 to 1973 following the death of her mother.[7][8] Ferré also began her graduate studies in literature during this time.[8] She became an accomplished writer, poet, and essayist, with works published in both Spanish and English.[8]
6 Lila Mayoral Wirshing Rafael Hernández Colón January 2, 1973 January 2, 1977 (2003-01-07)January 7, 2003 (60) Lila Mayoral's first tenure as first lady.
7 Kate Donnelly Carlos Romero Barceló January 2, 1977 January 2, 1985 (2023-09-18)September 18, 2023 Donnelly, also known as Kate Romero, who was born in Baldwin, New York, moved to Puerto Rico in 1961 to take a job at the First National City Bank in San Juan.[9][10] She married Carlos Romero Barceló, a lawyer, in 1966.[10] She focused on poverty alleviation, women's rights, and education, and advocated for statehood during her tenure.[9][10] Donnelly also published a cookbook, "Cocinando desde La Fortaleza", in 1984. She was later appointed as a trustee of the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico.
8 Lila Mayoral Wirshing Rafael Hernández Colón January 2, 1985 January 2, 1993 (2003-01-07)January 7, 2003 (60) Mayoral's second tenure as first lady. In September 1989, Hurricane Hugo struck Puerto Rico. First Lady Mayoral organized a fundraiser which raised $15.6 million for reconstruction.[11] She also oversaw the construction of new hurricane shelters on the islands of Culebra and Vieques.[11]
9 Maga Nevares de Rosselló Pedro Rosselló January 2, 1993 January 2, 2001 Living Maga Nevares is also the mother of former Governor Ricardo Rosselló (2017–2019)[12][13]
10 Adolfo Krans Sila Calderón January 2, 2001 August 2001 Living Governor Sila María Calderón was married to Adolfo Krans, a businessman and insurance broker, when she took office in 2001.[6] Krans and Calderón had campaigned together throughout the 2000 gubernatorial election.[6] However, rumors of a potential split began circulating in political circles for several weeks.[6] On Friday, August 17, 2001, Governor Calderón announced that she would seek a divorce to end the 23-year marriage.[6] Their divorce was finalized in November 2001.[14]
10 (continued) Sila María González Calderón
and
María Elena González Calderón		 2001 September 10, 2003 Governor Sila María Calderón appointed her daughters, Sila María González Calderón and María Elena González Calderón, to fulfill the duties of the first lady after her divorce.
10 (continued) Ramón Cantero Frau
and
Sila María González Calderón
and
María Elena González Calderón		 September 10, 2003 January 2, 2005 Ramón Cantero Frau had previously served as Secretary of Economic Development and Commerce of Puerto Rico within Governor Calderón's Cabinet from January 2001 until his resignation in December 2002.[15][16] In August 2003, Governor Calderón and Cantero announced their engagement.[17][18] Calderón and Cantero Fray married on September 10, 2003, at a ceremony at La Fortaleza.[15][17] It was the third marriage for both Calderón and Cantero Frau.[15]

The couple divorced in 2005 after she left office.

11 Luisa Gándara Aníbal Acevedo Vilá January 2, 2005 January 2, 2009 June 14, 2023 Nicknamed Piti Gándara, she was elected as an at-large member of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico in March 2013.[19][20] Gándara served in the House as a member of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) from 2013 to 2017.
12
Prince Felipe and Fortuño.jpg
 Lucé Vela Luis Fortuño January 2, 2009 January 2, 2013 Living Married to Fortuño since August 3, 1984[21]
13 Wilma Pastrana Alejandro García Padilla January 2, 2013 January 2, 2017 Living Married to Alejandro García Padilla since April 7, 2001[22]
14 Beatriz Rosselló Ricardo Rosselló January 2, 2017 August 2, 2019 Living Beatriz Rosselló's tenure as first lady ended on August 2, 2019, when Governor Ricardo Rosselló resigned from office in the wake of the Telegramgate political scandal.[23]
– Vacant[24][25] Pedro Pierluisi
(De facto)		 August 2, 2019 August 7, 2019 Pedro Pierluisi and his wife, María Elena Carrión, were undergoing a divorce at the time of his brief, five day tenure.[24][26] When Pierluisi took office, he announced that there would be no first lady and that his administration would consider closing the Office of the First Lady.[24][25] The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico unanimously ruled that Pierluisi's inauguration was unconstitutional on August 7, 2019, and he vacated the office.[27]
15 Jorge Díaz Reverón Wanda Vázquez Garced August 7, 2019 January 2, 2021 Living Jorge Díaz Reverón is a superior court judge in the city of Caguas, Puerto Rico.[28][27][29]
– Vacant Pedro Pierluisi January 2, 2021 Present Governor Pedro Pierluisi and his former wife, María Elena Carrión, are divorced.

See also

References
  1. "Develan óleo de Lucé Vela en La Fortaleza". Metro Puerto Rico. 2017-07-27. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  2. Kuilan, Gloria Ruiz (2016-11-18). "Ya tiene su óleo García Padilla, Ayer fue develado su retrato al óleo y el de la primera dama, Wilma Pastrana". El Nuevo Dia. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  3. "Fallece otra ex primera dama". Primera Hora. 2003-02-26. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  4. "Milestones: Oct. 13, 1967". Time. 1967-10-13. Archived from the original on 2014-07-21. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
  5. Mcg. Thomas Jr., Robert (1997-03-26). "Roberto Sanchez Vilella, 84, Puerto Rican Governor, Dies". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2018-11-22. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
  6. Roman, Ivan (2001-08-19). "Governor's Marital Woes Stun Island". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
  7. "Vlub Dd Lectura En Español: "La batalla de las vírgenes" Rosario Ferré Ramírez de Arellano (Puerto Rico)". El Museo del Barrio. 2017-03-08. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
  8. "Archival Collections: Rosario Ferré papers, 1900-2014, bulk 1950s-2010". Rare Book & Manuscript Library of Columbia University Libraries. 2015-10-27. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
  9. Nemy, Enid (1982-05-09). "Dona Kate, a First Lady from L.I." New York Times. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
  10. Eskenazi, Gerald (1979-09-09). "About Long Island". New York Times. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
  11. "Former First Lady Lila Hernandez Mayoral, 60, Led Hurricane Hugo Relief Effort". Puerto Rico Herald. Associated Press. 2003-01-07. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
  12. "Maga Nevárez y la vida después de La Fortaleza". Telemundo PR. 2015-07-21. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
  13. Suárez Torres, Limarys (2016-11-09). "Orgullosa Maga Nevares de la victoria de Ricardo Rosselló". Caribbean Business. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
  14. Ahora es oficial el divorcio Archived 2012-04-25 at the Wayback Machine on Primera Hora; Díaz Alcaide, Maritza (November 7, 2001)
  15. "Puerto Rico's Governor Marries Former Member of Her Cabinet". Orlando Sentinel. 2003-09-11. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  16. "Pesquera: Cantero's Resignation Sign Of Government Crisis". Puerto Rico Herald. Associated Press. 2002-12-11. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  17. Ivelisse Villereal, Sandra (2003-08-23). "Gobernadora de Puerto Rico anuncia su boda". Plainview Daily Herald. Associated Press. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  18. "Gobernadora de Puerto Rico Anuncia su Boda". Voice of America. 2003-08-25. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  19. "Al ruedo Piti Gándara". El Nuevo Día. 2013-03-07. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
  20. "Piti Gándara se convierte en la nueva legisladora del PPD". El Nuevo Día. 2013-03-13. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
  21. López Cabán, Cynthia (2003-02-26). "Fortuño y Lucé celebrarán aniversario "bajo la luz de la luna"". Primera Hora. Archived from the original on 2012-08-04. Retrieved 2012-08-03.
  22. "De aniversario García Padilla". El Nuevo Día. 2011-04-07. Archived from the original on 2011-09-10. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  23. Allyn, Bobby (2019-07-25). "Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló Resigns In Wake Of Text Message Scandal". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
  24. Rivera Sánchez, Maricarmen (2019-08-02). "No habrá primera dama". El Vocero. Archived from the original on 2019-08-06. Retrieved 2019-08-13.
  25. Rosario, Francis (2019-08-02). "No habrá primera dama bajo el gobierno de Pedro Pierluisi". Primera Hora (Puerto Rico). Archived from the original on 2019-08-13. Retrieved 2019-08-13.
  26. "Pedro Pierluisi confirma que atraviesa proceso de divorcio". Telemundo PR. 2019-08-03. Archived from the original on 2019-08-05. Retrieved 2019-08-13.
  27. Coto, Danica (2019-08-07). "Puerto Ricans get their 3rd governor in 6 days". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2019-08-08. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  28. "Enfocada Wanda Vázquez en brindar estabilidad al País". El Vocero. 2019-08-07. Archived from the original on 2019-08-08. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  29. Bauzá, Nydia (2018-12-28). "Díaz Reverón es enviado a una sala civil". Primera Hora. Archived from the original on 2019-08-07. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
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