Don Pedro Albizu Campos
Born on the 12 of September,
1891 in Machuelo Abajo, Ponce. His parents were Alejandro Albizu Romero
and Juliana Campos. He studied his primary and secondary school at Ponce.
An extremely intelligent student, he won a scolarship and proceeded to
higher studies at The University of Vermont where he obtained a Bachelor
in Sciences with a major in Chemistry and Engineering. He was then accepted
at Harvard in 1915 but the First World War interrupted his studies; he
volunteered in the Army . At the end of the War he had reached a rank of
1st Lieutenant. In 1921, and upon his return to the island he finished
studies in Law and a year later he married a young Peruvian, Laura Meneses.
Of this marriage he was to have two daughters, Laura and Rosa Emilia and
a son, Pedro. The newlyweds lived in Ponce where the young lawyer rejected
many highly salaried jobs so as to remain free to proceed his fight for
the independence of Puerto Rico. His total dedication to that ideal would
not change through his life.
In 1921 he joined the Union Party of Puerto Rico but when tree years later that Party dissapeared as a political Party he joined the Nationalist Party. In 1925 he was elected vice-president of the organization and fron 1927-1930 traveled extensively through South America where he asked for help from those countries toward the Puerto Rican independence movement.
In 1930 he was elected as president of the Party. In 1936 he was arrested and accused of conspiracy to bring down the government of the United States by the use of force. He was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison. The revolutionary leader started thus a long life in prison that was to extend through 22 years and that would only end months before his death.. He returned to the island in 1947, this time residing with his wife in San Juan. After the violent episodes of 1950 in which the Nationalist Party was involved in fierce battles with the Police, he was again arrested and jailed.Three years later and due to his poor health, he was pardoned by the Governor.. After the famous incident in which Puerto Rican Nationalists attacked the US Congress, and despite the fact it was never proven his direct relationship in the incident, Albizu was arrested and convicted again. This time he was not to abandon jail but for his death.
On the 21 of April, 1965 at 8:40 P.M. Don Pedro passed away. He was buried in San Juan, very close to the tomb of Jose De Diego,another famous independence leader.
The University of Havana conceded to him the grade of Doctor in Political Sciences Honoris Causa on the 24th. of April, 1965.
