José Celso Barbosa

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Dr. José Celso Barbosa (July 27, 1857 – September 21, 1921), born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, was a medical doctor, sociologist, and political leader. He was also the first racially-mixed resident to attend Puerto Rico's prestigious Jesuit Seminary.

Barbosa received both his primary and secondary education in Puerto Rico. After graduating from the Seminary, Barbosa tutored private students to save money to attend college. In 1875, he moved to New York to attend prep school where he learned English in a year. His goal in life was to become a lawyer, but after a bout with pneumonia in NYC, his doctor recommended he study medicine rather than law. In 1876, he was admitted to the medical school of the University of Michigan. Barbosa graduated Valedictorian of the class of 1880. He returned to the island where he set up his practice in his native hometown. However, the Spanish government did not recognize Barbosa's medical degree as it was not from one of the prestigious European universities. It took the intervention of the American consul to the island for Barbosa's degree to be recognized. Barbosa was the first person in the entire island with an American medical degree. Barbosa practiced medicine all over the island, and introduced the novel idea of employers paying a fee for the future health care needs of their employees (a very early health insurance system).

In 1893, Barbosa founded the first Puerto Rican cooperative and named it "El Ahorro Colectivo". Barbosa was a member of the Autonomous Party led by Román Baldorioty de Castro but left the party because of ideological differences. He formed the pro-statehood Puerto Rican Republican Party on July 4, 1899 as an aftermath of the Spanish-American War in which Puerto Rico became a territory of the United States. He became known as the father of the "Statehood for Puerto Rico" movement.

In 1900, Barbosa became a member of the Executive Cabinet up until 1917 and a member of the Senate from 1917 to 1921. In 1907, he established the newspaper "El Tiempo", the first bilingual newspaper on the island. His daughter Pilar Barbosa would one day become a renowned historian and a political activist who would carry on her father's work. José Celso Barbosa died in San Juan on September 21, 1921. He was laid to rest in Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in Old San Juan.

In honor of Barbosa's accomplishments, Puerto Rico has declared his birthday, July 27, an official holiday. Barbosa's house in Bayamón has been converted into a museum in which many of his awards, certificates, books and other artifacts of interest are exhibited. On July 20, 2006 the House of Representatives approved the Dr. Jose Celso Barbosa Post Office Building Designation Act to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 100 Avenida RL Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, as the Dr. Jose Celso Barbosa Post Office Building. On August 1, 2006, the President of the United States, George W. Bush signed the bill. It's now Public Law 109-253.