List of people from Ponce, Puerto Rico
This is a list of notable Ponceños, people from Ponce, Puerto Rico. Listed here are people who were either born in Ponce or who were not born in Ponce, but who are or were longtime residents of the city – the so-called adopted sons and daughters of Ponce, and known in Spanish as "Ponceñistas". Ponce has also been the birthplace and the place of residence of many Puerto Ricans who became notable elsewhere. The following lists many of them as well. The list is arranged alphabetically by area of notability.
List of notable Ponceños by area of notability
The list is divided into categories and in some cases sub-categories which best describe the field for which the subject is most noted. For individuals notable in more than one field (such as "Luis A. Ferré" who is notable as a former "governor" and as an "industrialist") the entry is made under the field for which the individual is most noted.
Contents: Top – Actors, actresses, comedians and directors, Architects, Authors, playwrights and poets, Beauty queens and fashion models, Business people and industrialists, Civil rights and/or political activists, Clergy, Composers, contemporary singers, musicians and opera, Criminals and outlaws, Diplomats, Educators, Governors, Historians, Journalists, Judges, law enforcement and firefighters, Military, Physicians, scientists and inventors, Politicians, Sportspeople, Visual Artists.
Lymari Nadal, actress American Gangster
Big screen actor Teófilo Torres
Film producer Juan Emilio Viguié
Andrés Mignucci, FAIA 2012 Henry Klumb Awardee
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Denise Quiñones, Miss Universe 2001
Maripily Rivera, actress and model
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Juan Morel Campos, Composer of Danzas
Multi-instrumentalist Papo Lucca at piano
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Domingo Cruz "Cocolía", Ponce Municipal Band director
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Juan Ríos Ovalle, danza composer and orchestra conductor
Antonio Paoli, Tenor
Rubén Colón Tarrats in 2012
Ednita Nazario, pop music singer
Amalia Paoli, soprano
Roberto Sánchez Vilella, Governor of Puerto Rico (1965-1969)
Luis A. Ferré, governor, philanthropist and industrialist
Rafael Hernández Colón Governor of Puerto Rico (1973-77, 1985-93)
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Ramón Marín, historian
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Lolita Tizol, music educator
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Gladys Tormes González, historian
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Agüeybaná II, leader of the Taíno rebellion of 1511
Euripides Rubio, Medal of Honor recipient
Colonel Raúl G. Villaronga, military and Mayor of Killeen, Texas
Joxel García, Assistant Secretary of Health under President George W. Bush
Gerónimo Lluberas, physician and humanitarian
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Dr. Rafael Pujals, physician and civic leader
María Martínez Acosta, politician
Pedro Albizu Campos – President and principal leader of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party.
Román Baldorioty de Castro, The Father of Puerto Rico's Autonomy
Federico Degetau, writer, author, and Resident Commissioner
Maurice Ferré, former Mayor of Miami
Carlos Correa, MLB player with the Houston Astros
Roberto Alomar, MLB Hall of Famer
Ivelisse Vélez, professional wrestler
Orlando Cepeda, MLB Hall of Famer
Ricky Ledée with the Mets
Francisco "Paquito" Montaner around 1912
Millito Navarro, last surviving player of the American Negro League
Javier Vázquez with the Yankees
Carlos Ortíz, 3-time world boxing champion
Actors, actresses, comedians, directors and entertainers
- Marisol Calero, actress
Films: Under Suspicion, and "El último de los amantes" (the Spanish language version of The Last of the Red Hot Lovers). - Míriam Colón, actress
Founder of New York City's Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre - María-Elena Laas, actress
Films: The Hot Chick, and Suffering Man's Charity, among others. - Walter Mercado, astrologer, dancer, telenovela actor, writer
- Mario Montez, female impersonator/actor
A Warhol superstar. - Tommy Muñiz, television producer comedian and actor
Pioneer in Puerto Rico television. Starred in the movie "Lo que le Pasó a Santiago", directed by Jacobo Morales, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. - Lymari Nadal, actress
Film: American Gangster; TV: Battlestar Galactica - Elín Ortíz, actor, producer, comedian and screenwriter.
For many years interpreted "Relíquia", mocking political corruption in Puerto Rico. - Jeimy Osorio, actress.
Film: Una Maid en Manhattan, "Porque el amor manda", "Santa Diabla"; TV: Celia. - Gilluis Pérez, actor.
TV: Nicky Jam: El Ganador. - Luis Raúl, actor, comedian and TV host
Acted in many telenovelas. Hosted "Anda Pa'l Cara" and "Pa' Que Te Lo Goces" - Esther Sandoval, actress.
Starred in "Ante La Ley", Puerto Rico's first telenovela. - Marta Romero, actress and singer
One of the pioneers of telenovelas in Puerto Rico - Teófilo Torres, actor and film director
Film: "Dios los cría", the Spanish language version of ...And God Created Them, among others. - Carmen Nydia Velázquez, comedian and singer
Fictional role in the comedic duet "Susa y Epifanio" - Rosita Velázquez, actress, comedian and singer, grew up in Ponce.
- Juan Emilio Viguié, film producer
Pioneer film producer. Made the first commercially successful films in the island, including "Romance Tropical", the first Puerto Rican film with sound. - Marco Zunino, actor
Starred in the musicals Jesucristo Superstar, Cabaret, Rent and Amor sin barreras (West Side Story).
Architects
- Pedro Adolfo de Castro y Besosa, architect
A graduate of an American architecture university, he designed masterpieces such as Castillo Serrallés and Casa de España. - Juan Bertoli Calderoni, architect
Designer of Teatro La Perla - Maruja Fuentes, industrial and environmental designer
- Timoteo Luberza, architect
Designed Plaza del Mercado Isabel II - Andrés Mignucci, urbanist.
Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. Winner of the Henry Klumb Award 2012. - Francisco Porrata-Doría, architect
Designed the Ponce Cathedral, Banco de Ponce building, and Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño building. - Blas Silva, architect
Creator of the Ponce Creole architectural style. Designed the Casa de la Masacre, Font-Ubides House, and the Subira House, among others. - Alfredo Wiechers Pieretti, architect
Designed many buildings now in the NRHP including Casa Wiechers-Villaronga, today the Museo de la Arquitectura Ponceña.
Authors, playwrights and poets
- César Andreu Iglesias, labor organizer, journalist, novelist, and short-story writer.
Co-founder of Claridad. President of the Puerto Rican Communist Party, and recipient of the 1960 Award for Excellence in Journalism from the Puerto Rican Institute of Literature. - Rosario Ferré, fiction writer, poet, essayist and biographer
Award: Liberatur Prix Award, Frankfurt Book Fair. - Félix Franco-Oppenheimer, poet and writer
His works include "Contornos", "Imagen y visión edénica de Puerto Rico", and "Antología poética". - Pedro J. Labarthe, poet, journalist, essayist, and novelist.
Documented the experience of Puerto Rican migration to New York. Major writings: The Son of Two Nations: The Private Life of a Columbia Student, among others. - Emilio J. Pasarell, short-story writer, novelist, and essayist. He was also an accomplished historian.
Best known for his "Origenes y desarrollo de la aficcion teatral en Puerto Rico" (Origins and development of theater in Puerto Rico). - Pedro Pietri, poet, playwright
Co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café. - Magaly Quiñones, poet
- Ed Vega, novelist and short-story writer.
Major awards: PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award (2004) and Washington Post Book of the Year Award (2004). - Iris Zavala, author, scholar, and poet.
Major Awards: Medal of Honor, ICP; Gold Medal, AP; and Pen Club Award.
Beauty queens and fashion models
- Denise Quiñones, beauty queen
Miss Puerto Rico 2001, Miss Universe 2001 - Maripily Rivera, model
Model, TV host and actress
Business people and industrialists
- Juan Bigas Moulins, businessman
Ponce Servicios was named after him. - Salvador de Vives, Mayor of Ponce and founder of Hacienda Buena Vista
Under his mayoral administration, the Ponce City Hall was built. - Ramiro L. Colón
First administrator of Cooperativa de Cafeteros de Puerto Rico, Café Rico. - Antonio Luis Ferré, businessman and industrialist
Owner of Ferré-Rangel media emporium. - Luberza Oppenheimer, Isabel
Madam of a notorious brothel. - Francisco Parra Duperón, lawyer
Founder of Puerto Rico's oldest law firm in continuous operation, Parra, del Valle & Limeres. - José Miguel Rovira, industrialist
Founder of Rovira Biscuits Corporation. - Ermelindo Salazar, businessman
Founded the Ponce Chamber of Commerce. Was also president of Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño, one of the largest and oldest in the Island. - Félix Saurí Vivas, businessman and hacienda holder
Built the third-oldest residence still standing in Ponce and which became Liceo Ponceño, Puerto Rico's first girls-only school, and later the Ponce Ramada Hotel. - Juan Serrallés, businessman and hacienda holder
Founder of Destilería Serrallés and "Don Q". - Salvador Vassallo, industrialist
Founder of Industrias Vassallo and subsidiaries. - Luis Fortuño Janeiro, journalist and member of the Puerto Rico Senate
Founder of Ïmprenta Fortuño.
Civic leaders
- Olimpio Otero Vergés, civic leader, merchant, attorney
Instrumental in the creation of the Parque de la Abolición, the building of road PR-123/PR-10, and the launching of 1883 Ponce Fair - Valentín Tricoche, philanthropist and civic leader
Donated the money for the construction of Acueducto de Ponce and what would become Hospital Tricoche. - Rafael Rivera Esbrí, civic leader and mayor
A hero of 1898 "El Polvorín" fire.
Civil servants and public servants
- Enrique Campos del Toro, businessman, banker, law professor and civil servant
Served in several Commonwealth governmental positions, some of which were appointed by the president of the United States. - Carlos A. Chardón López, educator and civil servant
Chardón served twice as Puerto Rico's Secretary of Education - Carlos Fernando Chardón, Secretary of State and Adjuntant General of Puerto Rico.
- Antonio S. Luchetti, engineer and public servant
Headed the launching of island-wide public electric service in Puerto Rico. - Mariano Villaronga-Toro, educator and public servant
The first Commissioner of Public Instruction after the creation of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Displaced English as the language of instruction and replaced it with Spanish.
Civil rights and/or political activists
- Carlos Alberto Torres, political activist
Nationalist and political prisoner.
Clergy
- José Luis de Jesús, Creator of the "Creciendo en Gracia" sect
Self-proclaimed "Jesus Christ Man". Can be heard in 287 radio stations; founded a 24-hr TV network; has some 2 million followers in 35 countries. - Isolina Ferré, Catholic nun
Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. - Félix Lázaro Martínez, bishop of Ponce
Educator at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico - Juan Fremiot Torres Oliver, bishop of Ponce
Longest-serving bishop for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ponce in Ponce, Puerto Rico, with 36 years of service.
Composers
- Julio C. Arteaga, composer of danzas, musician and teacher.
- Héctor Campos Parsi, composer and writer
Wrote many compositions, including the incidental music for both A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare, and Dracula by Bram Stoker. - Arístides Chavier Arévalo, pianist and composer.
Chavier trained Luis A. Ferré as a concert-level pianist. - Juan Morel Campos, composer of danzas.
Founder of the Ponce Municipal Band. Wrote over 550 compositions before he died on stage at age 39. - Juan Ríos Ovalle, composer of danzas, prolific musician and orchestra director.
- Manuel G. Tavárez, composer
Known as "The father of the Puerto Rican danza"
Musicians
- Carlos Alomar, guitarist, composer and arranger.
Best known for his work with David Bowie, having played on more Bowie albums than any other musician. - Julio Alvarado Tricoche, musician, composer, band director.
Best known for "Lejos de Ti". - Rubén Colón Tarrats, musician, composer, band director.
- Domingo Cruz "Cocolía", musician and orchestra director.
Director of the ultracentenarian Ponce Municipal Band. - Papo Lucca, multi-instrumentalist musician.
Co-founder of La Sonora Ponceña, a salsa band. He also played the piano with The Fania All-Stars. - Elías López Sobá, classical music pianist and educator.
Co-director of the annual Casals Festival since 2010. - Luis Osvaldo Pino Valdivieso, musician and band director.
- Librado Net, musician, educator and painter.
First director of the Escuela Libre de Música de Ponce and mastermind behind the creation of Puerto Rico's Free Music School system. - Elisa Tavárez, pianist
Contemporary singers
- PJ Sin Suela, rapper, composer, and doctor.
Pedro-Juan Vázquez Bragan better known as PJ Sin Suela has been known for his music career and his compromise with social matters in Puerto Rico. - Lorenzo S. Alvarado Santos, singer, composer, and guitarist.
With Johnny Albino and Félix ("Ola") Martínez, made up Trío San Juan during the years 1949–1957. Among his best tunes was the 1956 bolero "Siete notas de amor". - Cheo Feliciano, salsa singer.
Lead singer for the "Joe Cuba Sextet" and later with the Fania All-Stars. - Ruth Fernández, Contralto Bolero singer and singer of up tempo songs.
Won numerous awards internationally during her lifetime. Was also elected to the Puerto Rico Senate. - Héctor Lavoe, Salsa and Bolero singer.
Credited with starting the salsa movement in the early 1970s in collaboration with The Fania All-Stars. - "Lunna", Pop and Jazz singer.
Director of the TV show "Objetivo Fama". - Ednita Nazario, Pop and rock singer.
Has recorded over 50 albums, DVDs, and compilations. - Ismael Quintana, Salsa singer and composer.
Recipient of the 1966 "Most Popular Latin Singer of the Year" award at the Palladium Ballroom. Also sang with The Fania All-Stars. - Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez, Salsa singer. Sang with The Fania All-Stars and also had a solo career.
- Draco Rosa, Menudo musician and singer.
Multiple-time Grammy and Latin Grammy winning musician, singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, poet and entrepreneur. - Carmín Vega, singer and comedian.
Known as "The woman with a thousand voices and a thousand faces". - Juan Vélez, singer, musician and songwriter.
Winner of the fourth season of Objetivo Fama.
Opera
- Lizzie Graham, Soprano singer
Trained 19th century international soprano singer Amalia Paoli. - Amalia Paoli, soprano opera singer.
- Antonio Paoli, tenor opera singer
First person in world history to record an entire opera - Melliangee Pérez, soprano opera singer
Recipient of UNESCO's Soprano of the Year award. - Graciela Rivera, soprano opera singer
First Puerto Rican to sing a lead role at the Metropolitan Opera.
Theatrical arts
- Luis Torres Nadal, playwright, poet, educator, actor, choreographer, and theatrical director.
Criminals and outlaws
- Antonio Correa Cotto
Notorious 1930s outlaw.
Diplomats
- Teodoro Moscoso, diplomat and civil servant
Former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela and head of Alliance for Progress
Educators
- Alfredo M. Aguayo, educator and writer
Established the first laboratory of child psychology at the University of Havana - Carlos Albizu Miranda, psychologist and educator
Founder of Albizu University. - María Teresa Babín Cortés, educator, literary critic, and essayist
Author of "Panorama de la Cultura Puertorriqueña", among others. - Hemeterio Colón Warens, educator, land surveyor, and mayor of Cayey
Founded Colegio Central Ponceño in 1883. - Jaime L. Drew, educator, civil servant, writer and engineer
Author of "Libro de Poemas en Ingles y Espanol", among others. - Antonio García Padilla, scholar, and civil servant
President of the University of Puerto Rico. - Manuel González Pató, educator, writer, and sportsman.
Puerto Rico National Olympic team coach - Domingo Marrero Navarro, educator and writer
Author of award-winning "El Centauro: Persona y Pensamiento de Ortega y Gasset" (Institute of Puerto Rican Culture) - Lolita Tizol, educator
Taught music for a meager $50 per month to an entire generation of Puerto Rican children.
Governors
- Luis A. Ferré
Also an industrialist and philanthropist. Founder of the Museo de Arte de Ponce and Ponce Cement, Inc. - Rafael Hernández Colón
Two-time governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and, at 35, Puerto Rico's youngest governor ever. - Roberto Sánchez Vilella
Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
First Ladies of Puerto Rico
- Conchita Dapena
First Lady of Puerto Rico (1965–1966). - Rosario Ferré
First Lady of Puerto Rico (1970–1972). - Lila Mayoral Wirshing
Youngest First Lady of Puerto Rico (1973–1977, 1985–1992). - Lorenza Ramírez de Arellano
First Lady of Puerto Rico (1969–1970).
Historians
- Silvia Álvarez Curbelo, architectural and cultural historian
Founding member of the Puerto Rican Association of Historians, and director of the Center for Communications Research at the University of Puerto Rico. - Francisco Lluch Mora, historian
Wrote "Orígenes y Fundación de Ponce y Otras Noticias Relativas a su Desarrollo Urbano, Demográfico y Cultural (Siglos XVI-XIX)". - Ramón Marín, historian
Wrote the classical work: "Las fiestas populares de Ponce." - Antonio Mirabal, political historian and poet
Author of "De Rosas a Trujillo: estudio histórico comparativo de las tiranías en América." Long-time chief archivist at Archivo Historico de Ponce - Eduardo Neumann Gandía, historian
Author of "Verdadera y Auténtica Historia de la Ciudad de Ponce." - Andrés Ramos Mattei, sugar industry historian
Said to be "the undisputed authority" on the subject of Puerto Rico's sugar industry. - Gladys Esther Tormes González, historian
Head archivist and longest-serving archivist at the "Archivo Historico de Ponce".
Journalists
- Carmen Dominicci, news anchor.
- Juan González, journalist
Columnist for New York's Daily News, and co-host the radio and television program Democracy Now!. - Washington Lloréns, journalist, writer, linguist, and scholar.
- Jorge L. Ramos, news anchor
Emmy Award-winning New York City television news anchor. - Ramón Enrique Torres, news anchor.
Judges, law enforcement and firefighters
- Jeannette Ramos, Judge, Puerto Rico Court of Appeals
Puerto Rico district judge and a First Lady of Puerto Rico (1967–1969). - Pedro Toledo, Puerto Rico Police Commissioner
Main negotiator during the 1987 Atlanta Prison Riots. - Raúl Gándara Cartagena, Fire Commissioner
The first and longest-serving Fire Commissioner in Puerto Rico.
Military
- Agüeybaná (Great Sun), Supreme Taíno chief
Supreme Cacique of Puerto Rico who welcomed Juan Ponce de León to the island. - Agüeybaná II, Supreme cacique of the entire island of "Borikén"
Led the Taínos in the fight against Juan Ponce de León and the Spanish conquistadores in the Taíno rebellion of 1511. - Ramón Colón-López, chief master sergeant, U.S. Air Force
First and only Latino among the first six airmen to be awarded the Air Force Combat Action Medal. - Antonio J. Ramos, brigadier general, U.S. Air Force
First Latino to serve as commander, Air Force Security Assistance Center, Air Force Materiel Command. - José Antonio Muñiz lieutenant colonel, U.S. Air Force
Co-founder of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard. - Horacio Rivero, admiral, U.S. Navy
First Puerto Rican and second Hispanic to become admiral (four-star) in the U.S. Navy. Commander of the American fleet that effected the blockade of the Soviet ships during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. - Eurípides Rubio, captain, U.S. Army
Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Tay Ninh Province in the Republic of Vietnam on 8 November 1966. - Raúl G. Villaronga
First Puerto Rican to be elected mayor in the state of Texas. (Mayor of Killeen, Texas). - Luis R. Visot, major general, U. S. Army
Chief of Staff of the United States Army Reserve.
Physicians, scientists and inventors
- Carlos E. Chardón Palacios, mycologist
Father of Puerto Rican mycology and first Puerto Rican appointed as Chancellor of University of Puerto Rico. - Martín Corchado, physician and medical researcher
Was also president of the Autonomist Party of Puerto Rico. - Manuel de la Pila Iglesias, physician and medical pioneer
Introduced the first EKG and X-ray machines to Puerto Rico. Considered to be "one of the giants of Puerto Rican medicine". - José N. Gándara, medical director at Hospital Tricoche
Lead physician helping victims of the Ponce massacre, and witness at the trials of the accused Nacionalistas. Was Secretary of Health of Puerto Rico. Co-founder of the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico. - Joxel García, Assistant Secretary for Health,
First Puerto Rican to be appointed Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. - Julio J. Henna, physician and political activist
Co-founder of New York City's French Hospital. - Gerónimo Lluberas, physician, writer, educator, medical missionary
One of the first physicians in the United States and Puerto Rico to use the Prosorba column to treat rheumatoid arthritis. - Rafael López Nussa, physician and public servant
Pioneered heart surgeries in Puerto Rico. - Rafael Pujals, physician, civic leader and political activist
First physician with a medical degree in the city and medical director at both Hospital de Damas and Hospital Tricoche.
Politicians
- Pedro Albizu Campos
President and principal leader of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party. - Román Baldorioty de Castro
Considered "The Father of Puerto Rico's Autonomy". - Pedro Colón
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. - Federico Degetau
The first Resident Commissioner to the United States. - Manuel V. Domenech
Mayor of Ponce. Member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives. Also an engineer and civil servant. - Maurice Ferre
Former Mayor of Miami, Florida. - Marially González Huertas
Vice-president of the Senate of Puerto Rico. - María de Pérez Almiroty
First woman elected to the Senate of Puerto Rico - Ernesto Ramos Antonini
Former Speaker of Puerto Rico's House of Representatives. - Luis Ernesto Ramos Yordán
President of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives - Peter Rivera
Member of the New York State Assembly. - Larry Seilhamer Rodríguez
Speaker of the Senate of Puerto Rico. Also basketball player in BSN. - Rafael Cordero Santiago, long-serving mayor of Ponce; elected in 1989, and re-elected to three additional 4-year terms. Died in office.
Baseball players and coaches
- Roberto Alomar
Former baseball player, MLB All-Star, third Puerto Rican inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame (2011). - Pedro Miguel Caratini
Baseball player. - Orlando Cepeda
Baseball player and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. - Francisco "Pancho" Coímbre
Negro league baseball All-Star player. - Carlos Correa
Minnesota Twins player. - Luis DeLeón
Former Major League Baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners. - Coco Laboy
MLB player with San Francisco Giants, Montreal Expos and the St. Louis Cardinals. - Ricky Ledée
Nine-year veteran in MLB playing as an outfielder. - Javy López
Former catcher in Major League Baseball with the Atlanta Braves, the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox. - Felix Maldonado
MLB baseball manager. - Pepe Mangual
MLB player with the Montreal Expos and New York Mets. - Paquito Montaner
First Puerto Rican baseball player to throw a "no-hitter" in Puerto Rican baseball. - Millito Navarro
First Puerto Rican to play in Negro leagues and the American Negro League's last surviving member. - Luis Quiñones
Former Major League Baseball player for the Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and the Minnesota Twins. - Edwin Rodriguez
Former Florida Marlins team manager. - Benito Santiago
Former 20-season catcher in Major League Baseball. - Félix Torres
MLB player with Los Angeles Angels, Cincinnati Redlegs and Philadelphia Phillies. - Javier Vázquez
Former MLB pitcher. - Otto Vélez
MLB player with New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and Cleveland Indians. - Enrique "Coco" Vicéns
Basketball player with Leones de Ponce. Also a politician.
Basketball players
- Juan "Pachín" Vicéns
Basketball player. Led the Lenoes de Ponce team to six championships. - César Bocachica
Olympic basketball player. - Manolo Cintrón
Former Puerto Rico Basketball league player. Also managed Puerto Rico National team to medals at multiple international games. - Bobby Joe Hatton
Puerto Rico basketball league and Puerto Rico Olympic basketball team player. - Miguel "Ali" Berdiel
Puerto Rico professional basketball league player and National Olympic team medalist.
Boxers
- José "Chegüi" Torres
WBA light heavyweight champion and International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee. - Carlos Ortíz
Three-time world boxing champion. - Alex Sánchez
Light flyweight boxer and WBO's world Strawweight championship. - Mario Santiago
2018 World Boxing Council Caribbean Featherweight champion in 2018. - Juan Carazo
Two time world championship challenger, born in Ponce.
Other sportspeople
- Ricardo Busquets, Olympic swimmer.
- Javier Culson, track and field athlete
Olympic medalist specializing in the 400-metre hurdles. - Germán Figueroa, professional wrestler.
- Juan "Papo" Franceschi, track and field athlete
Gold medalist at Central American and Caribbean Games - Edgardo Guilbe, track and field athlete
Olympic sprinter. - Julio Enrique Monagas, sportsman, public servant and civic leader.
Considered "The father of Olympic sports in Puerto Rico." - Francisco Rosa Rivera, professional bodybuilder.
- Félix Serrallés, professional racing driver.
- Debora Seilhamer, Olympic volleyball player.
- Jesse Vassallo, swimmer
Former president (2004-2008), Puerto Rico Swimming Federation and member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame. - Ivelisse Vélez, professional wrestler
Lucha Underground.
Visual artists
- Albizu, Olga, abstract expressionist painter.
Her works include album covers for Stan Getz - Escobar, Elizam, painter and political activist.
Dean of the Painting Department at the Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico. - Irizarry, Epifanio, painter and educator.
His works include "Flamboyan" (1972). - Penne, María Luisa, painter, educator, and graphic artist.
- Pou, Miguel, painter.
Patrons include Museo de Arte de Ponce, Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art and Puerto Rico Museum of Art. - Rios Rey, Rafael, muralist.
Patrons include Ponce YMCA Organization, Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño, and Puerto Rico Iron Works. - Torres Martinó, José A., painter.
Co-founder of the Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Diseño de Puerto Rico. - Quiñones, Lee, graffiti painter and actor
Patrons include El Museo del Barrio, Whitney Museum of Art, Museum of the City of New York and the Groninger Museum - Torres, Wichie, Oil canvas painter.
Exponent of the costumbrismo movement.
Table summary by year of birth
The following sortable table is a summary list of notable Ponceños and Ponceñistas arranged chronologically by year of birth.
| Name | Born | Died | Profession/Occupation/Notability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| José Ortíz de la Renta | 1765 | 1850 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Salvador de Vives | 1784 | 1845 | Businessman | - |
| Juan Rondón | 1790 | 1843 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Valentín Tricoche | 1800 | 1863 | Philanthropist | DOB is approximate |
| Juan José Cartagena | 1815 | 1895 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Rafael León y García | 1818 | 1888 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Juan Cortada y Quintana | 1820 | 1889 | Mayor | DOB is approximate |
| Timoteo Luberza | 1820 | 1895 | Architect | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Juan Bertoli Calderoni | 1820 | 1900 | Architect | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Román Baldorioty de Castro | 1822 | 1889 | Politician | Ponceñista |
| Francisco Parra Duperón | 1827 | 1899 | Businessman | Ponceñista |
| Rafael Pujals | 1830 | 1889 | Physician | Ponceñista. DOB is approximate |
| Ramón Marín | 1832 | 1902 | Historian | Ponceñista |
| Miguel Rosich y Mass | 1835 | 1915 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Hemeterio Colón Warens | 1839 | 1889 | Educator | Possibly a Ponceñista |
| Martín Corchado | 1839 | 1898 | Physician | Ponceñista |
| Ermelindo Salazar | 1840 | 1920 | Businessman | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| José Lloréns Echevarría | 1840 | 1920 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Manuel Gregorio Tavárez | 1843 | 1883 | Composer | - |
| Lizzie Graham | 1844 | 1927 | Singer | - |
| Olimpio Otero Vergés | 1845 | 1911 | Civic leader | - |
| Juan José Potous | 1845 | 1920 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Luis P. Valdivieso | 1845 | 1920 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Juan Serrallés Colón | 1845 | 1921 | Businessman | - |
| Enrique Chevalier | 1845 | 1925 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Luis Porrata-Doría | 1845 | 1925 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Julio J. Henna | 1848 | 1924 | Physician | - |
| Santiago Oppenheimer | 1850 | 1920 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Luis Gautier | 1850 | 1920 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Antonio Arias | 1850 | 1940 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Eduardo Armstrong | 1851 | 1895 | Mayor | - |
| Félix Saurí Vivas | 1852 | 1912 | Businessman | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Eduardo Neumann Gandía | 1852 | 1913 | Historian | - |
| Simón Moret Gallart | 1853 | 1923 | Mayor | - |
| Juan Morel Campos | 1857 | 1896 | Composer | - |
| José de Guzmán Benítez | 1857 | 1921 | Mayor | - |
| Ulpiano Colóm | 1861 | 1920 | Mayor | DOD is approximate |
| Amalia Paoli | 1861 | 1941 | Opera singer | DOB is approximate |
| Pedro Juan Rosaly | 1862 | 1920 | Mayor | DOD is approximate |
| Federico Degetau | 1862 | 1914 | Politician | Also civil servant |
| Juan Ríos Ovalle | 1863 | 1928 | Composer | - |
| Juan Bigas Moulins | 1863 | 1934 | Businessman | - |
| Vicente Balbás Capó | 1864 | 1926 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Domingo Cruz "Cocolía" | 1864 | 1934 | Musician | - |
| Alfredo Miguel Aguayo Sánchez | 1866 | 1948 | Educator | Born in Ponce, practiced mostly in Cuba |
| Arístides Chavier Arévalo | 1867 | 1942 | Composer | - |
| Luis Yordán Dávila | 1869 | 1932 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Manuel V. Domenech | 1869 | 1942 | Politician | Ponceñista. Also an architect and civil servant |
| Blas Silva | 1869 | 1949 | Architect | Ponceñista |
| Rafael Rivera Esbrí | 1870 | 1965 | Civic leader | Also became mayor |
| Abelardo Aguilú, Jr. | 1870 | 1940 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Francisco Parra Capó | 1871 | 1945 | Mayor | DOD is approximate |
| Rodulfo del Valle | 1871 | 1948 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Antonio Paoli | 1871 | 1946 | Opera singer | - |
| José Tormos Diego | 1875 | 1950 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Jaime L. Drew | 1876 | 1948 | Educator | - |
| Elisa Tavárez | 1879 | 1960 | Pianist | - |
| Blas Oliveras | 1880 | 1950 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Pedro Miguel Caratini | 1880 | 1940 | Baseball player | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Antonio Mirabal | 1880 | 1966 | Historian | - |
| Miguel Pou | 1880 | 1968 | Painter | - |
| Guillermo Vivas Valdivieso | 1881 | 1940 | Mayor | DOD is approximate |
| Alfredo Wiechers Pieretti | 1881 | 1964 | Architect | - |
| Emilio Fagot | 1883 | 1946 | Mayor | - |
| Vicente Balbás Capó | 1884 | 1926 | Mayor | - |
| Manuel de la Pila Iglesias | 1884 | 1950 | Physician | - |
| Rafael López Nussa | 1885 | 1943 | Physician | Ponceñista. Also a public servant |
| José Leandro Montalvo Guenard | 1885 | 1950 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Julio Alvarado Tricoche | 1886 | 1970 | Musician | - |
| Antonio S. Luchetti | 1888 | 1958 | Civil servant | - |
| Andrés Grillasca Salas | 1888 | 1973 | Mayor | - |
| Lolita Tizol | 1890 | 1933 | Educator | - |
| Francisco Porrata-Doría | 1890 | 1971 | Architect | - |
| Pedro Albizu Campos | 1891 | 1965 | Politician | - |
| Juan Emilio Viguié | 1891 | 1966 | Film maker | - |
| Emilio J. Pasarell | 1891 | 1974 | Writer | - |
| Paquito Montaner | 1894 | 1945 | Baseball player | - |
| Librado Net | 1895 | 1964 | Musician | - |
| Raúl Gándara Cartagena | 1895 | 1989 | Public servant | - |
| Juan Luis Boscio | 1896 | 1980 | Mayor | - |
| Carlos E. Chardón | 1897 | 1965 | Public servant | - |
| Ernesto Ramos Antonini | 1898 | 1963 | Politician | - |
| Washington Lloréns | 1899 | 1989 | Writer | - |
| Enrique Campos del Toro | 1900 | 1970 | Businessman | Also public servant; DOD is approximate |
| Julio Enrique Monagas | 1900 | 1984 | Public servant | DOB is approximate |
| Isabel Luberza Oppenheimer | 1901 | 1974 | Businesswoman | - |
| Ramiro L. Colón | 1904 | 1983 | Businessman | Also politician |
| Luis A. Ferré | 1904 | 2003 | Politician | Also industrialist and philanthropist |
| Pedro J. Labarthe | 1905 | 1966 | Poet | - |
| Millito Navarro | 1905 | 2011 | Baseball player | - |
| Mariano Villaronga Toro | 1906 | 1987 | Public servant | - |
| José N. Gándara | 1907 | 1954 | Physician | Also public servant |
| Domingo Marrero Navarro | 1909 | 1960 | Educator | - |
| Pancho Coimbre | 1909 | 1989 | Baseball player | - |
| María Teresa Babín Cortés | 1910 | 1989 | Educator | Also a writer |
| Teodoro Moscoso | 1910 | 1992 | Diplomat | Also a civil servant |
| Horacio Rivero, Jr. | 1910 | 2000 | Military | - |
| Rafael Ríos Rey | 1911 | 1980 | Painter | - |
| José Dapena Laguna | 1912 | 1991 | Mayor | - |
| Félix Franco-Oppenheimer | 1912 | 2004 | Mayor | - |
| Manuel González Pató | 1913 | 1973 | Educator | - |
| María Luisa Penne | 1913 | 2005 | Painter | - |
| Roberto Sánchez Vilella | 1913 | 1997 | Governor | Ponceñista |
| Isolina Ferré | 1914 | 2000 | Clergy | - |
| César Andreu Iglesias | 1915 | 1976 | Writer | - |
| Epifanio “Fano” Irizarry | 1915 | 2001 | Painter | - |
| Luis Ernesto Ramos Yordán | 1915 | 2005 | Politician | |
| José Antonio Torres Martinó | 1916 | 2011 | Painter | - |
| Eduardo Ruberté Bisó | 1917 | 1985 | Mayor | DOB and DOD are approximate |
| Carlos Juan Cintrón | 1918 | 1998 | Mayor | - |
| José Antonio Muñiz | 1919 | 1960 | Military | - |
| Ruth Fernández | 1919 | 2012 | Singer | - |
| Juan H. Cintrón García | 1919 | 2012 | Mayor | - |
| Lorenzo S. Alvarado Santos | 1920 | 1982 | Singer | - |
| Carlos Albizu Miranda | 1920 | 1984 | Educator | - |
| José Miguel Rovira | 1920 | 1993 | Industrialist | DOB is approximate |
| Graciela Rivera | 1921 | 2011 | Opera singer | - |
| Héctor Campos Parsi | 1922 | 1998 | Composer | - |
| Tommy Muñiz | 1922 | 2009 | Actor | - |
| Olga Albizu | 1924 | 2005 | Painter | - |
| Francisco Lluch Mora | 1924 | 2006 | Historian | - |
| Juan Fremiot Torres Oliver | 1925 | 2012 | Clergy | Ponceñista |
| Enrique "Coco" Vicéns | 1926 | 1915 | Basketball player | Ponceñista. Also a politician |
| Esther Sandoval | 1927 | 2006 | Actress | - |
| Elías López Sobá | 1927 | – | Musician | Also an educator |
| Luis A. "Wito" Morales | 1928 | 2011 | Mayor | - |
| Marta Romero | 1928 | 2013 | Actress | - |
| Jeannette Ramos | 1930 | 2021 | Judge | DOB is approximate |
| José G. Tormos Vega | 1932 | – | Mayor | DOB is approximate |
| Walter Mercado | 1932 | 2019 | Astrologer | - |
| Félix Torres | 1932 | – | Baseball player | - |
| Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez | 1933 | 2000 | Singer | - |
| Luis Osvaldo Pino Valdivieso | 1933 | 2003 | Band director | - |
| Gladys Esther Tormes González | 1933 | – | Historian | - |
| Juan "Pachín" Vicéns | 1934 | 2007 | Basketball player | - |
| Elín Ortíz | 1934 | 2016 | Actor | - |
| Mario Montez | 1935 | 2013 | Actor | - |
| Maurice Ferre | 1935 | 2019 | Politician | - |
| Cheo Feliciano | 1935 | 2014 | Singer | - |
| Ed Vega | 1936 | 2008 | Writer | - |
| José "Chegüi" Torres | 1936 | 2009 | Boxer | - |
| Iván Ayala Cádiz | 1936 | – | Mayor | DOB is approximate |
| Carlos Ortíz | 1936 | – | Boxer | - |
| Félix Lázaro Martínez | 1936 | – | Clergy | Ponceñista |
| Míriam Colón | 1936 | 2017 | Actress | - |
| Iris Zavala | 1936 | 2020 | Writer | - |
| Rafael Hernández Colón | 1936 | 2019 | Politician | - |
| Ismael Quintana | 1937 | 2016 | Singer | - |
| Orlando Cepeda | 1937 | – | Baseball player | - |
| Eurípides Rubio | 1938 | 1966 | Military | - |
| Félix Maldonado | 1938 | 2010 | Baseball manager | - |
| José Dapena Thompson | 1938 | – | Mayor | DOB is approximate |
| Raúl G. Villaronga | 1938 | 2021 | Military | - |
| Rosario Ferré | 1938 | 2016 | Writer | - |
| César Bocachica | 1938 | – | Basketball player | - |
| Coco Laboy | 1940 | – | Baseball player | - |
| Silvia Álvarez Curbelo | 1940 | – | Historian | - |
| Rubén Colón Tarrats | 1940 | – | Musician | - |
| Andrés Ramos Mattei | 1941 | 1987 | Historian | - |
| Rafael Cordero Santiago | 1942 | 2004 | Mayor | - |
| Salvador Vassallo | 1942 | 2007 | Industrialist | - |
| Luis Torres Nadal | 1943 | 1986 | Playwright | - |
| Pedro Pietri | 1944 | 2004 | Poet | - |
| Delis Castillo Rivera de Santiago | 1945 | – | Mayor | DOB is approximate |
| Juan "Papo" Franceschi | 1946 | 1990 | Track and field athlete | - |
| Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda | 1946 | 2013 | Clergy | - |
| Héctor Lavoe | 1946 | 1993 | Singer | - |
| Peter Rivera | 1946 | – | Politician | - |
| Papo Lucca | 1946 | – | Musician | - |
| Juan González | 1947 | – | Journalist | - |
| Carmen Nydia Velázquez | 1947 | – | Comedian | Also a singer |
| Elizam Escobar | 1948 | 2021 | Poet | Also an author |
| María Meléndez | 1950 | Mayor | - | |
| Otto Vélez | 1950 | Baseball player | - | |
| Francisco Zayas Seijo | 1951 | – | Mayor | - |
| Carlos Alomar | 1951 | – | Musician | - |
| Pepe Mangual | 1952 | – | Baseball player | - |
| Wichie Torres | 1952 | 2020 | Painter | - |
| Teófilo Torres | 1954 | – | Actor | - |
| Larry Seilhamer Rodríguez | 1954 | – | Politician | Ponceñista. Also basketball player. |
| Antonio García Padilla | 1954 | – | Educator | - |
| Carmín Vega | 1955 | – | Singer | - |
| Ednita Nazario | 1955 | – | Singer | - |
| Gerónimo Lluberas | 1956 | 2003 | Humanitarian | Also a physician |
| Ramón Enrique Torres | 1956 | – | News anchor | - |
| Luis R. Visot | 1956 | – | Military | DOB is approximate |
| Andrés Mignucci | 1957 | – | Architect | - |
| Luis de León | 1958 | – | Baseball player | - |
| Lunna | 1960 | – | Singer | - |
| Lee Quiñones | 1960 | – | Painter | - |
| Edwin Rodríguez | 1960 | – | Baseball personality | - |
| Jesse Vassallo | 1961 | – | Olympic swimmer | - |
| Luis Raúl | 1962 | – | Actor | - |
| Joxel García | 1962 | – | Physician | - |
| Luis Quiñones | 1962 | – | Baseball player | - |
| Marisol Calero | 1963 | – | Actress | - |
| Manolo Cintrón | 1963 | – | Basketball player | - |
| Benito Santiago | 1965 | – | Baseball player | - |
| Edgardo Guilbe | 1966 | – | Olympic sprinter | - |
| Carmen Dominicci | 1966 | – | News anchor | - |
| Roberto Alomar | 1968 | – | Baseball player | - |
| Pedro Colón | 1968 | – | Politician | - |
| Draco Rosa | 1969 | – | Singer | Ponceñista |
| Javy López | 1970 | – | Baseball player | - |
| Ramón Colón-López | 1971 | – | Military | - |
| Francisco Rosa Rivera | 1972 | 2010 | Bodybuilder | - |
| Alex Sánchez | 1973 | – | Boxer | - |
| Ricky Ledée | 1973 | – | Baseball player | - |
| Ricardo Busquets | 1974 | – | Olympic swimmer | - |
| Germán Figueroa | 1975 | – | Wrestler | - |
| Melliangee Pérez | 1976 | – | Soprano singer | - |
| Javier Vázquez | 1976 | – | Baseball player | - |
| Marco Zunino | 1976 | – | Actor | - |
| Bobby Joe Hatton | 1976 | – | Basketball player | - |
| Maripily Rivera | 1977 | – | Model | - |
| Maruja Fuentes | 1978 | 2010 | Architect | - |
| Mario Santiago | 1978 | – | Boxer | - |
| Lymari Nadal | 1978 | – | Actress* | - |
| Denise Quiñones | 1980 | – | Beauty pageant | Also actress |
| Juan Vélez | 1983 | – | Singer* | - |
| Miguel "Ali" Berdiel | 1983 | – | Basketball player | - |
| Maria-Elena Laas | 1983 | – | Actress | - |
| Javier Culson | 1984 | – | Olympic hurdler | - |
| Debora Seilhamer | 1985 | – | Olympic volleyball player | - |
| Ivelisse Vélez | 1988 | – | Wrestler | - |
| Félix Serrallés | 1992 | – | Racing driver | - |
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