Severo E. Colberg Ramírez
(September 16, 1924 – December 26, 1990) was a
Puerto Rican politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
. He served as a member of the
Puerto Rico House of Representatives
The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico ( es, Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico) is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the bicameral state legislature (United States), territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. ...
, and was the Speaker from 1982 to 1985. He was affiliated to the
Popular Democratic Party (PPD).
Early years and studies
Colberg Ramírez was born in
Cabo Rojo on September 16, 1924. He received his
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in social science from the
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico ( es, Universidad de Puerto Rico, UPR) is the main public university system in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a government-owned corporation with 11 campuses and approximately 58,000 students and 5, ...
, and his
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in public administration from
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
. He worked at the University of Puerto Rico as an aide to the Dean of Administration, and as a professor and director at the Graduate School of Public Administration. Colberg Ramirez contributed as columnist for more than 20 years for several of the island's main newspapers. A selected collection of his writings was published by the House of Representatives in 2001.
Political career
Colberg Ramírez was first elected to the
Puerto Rico House of Representatives
The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico ( es, Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico) is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the bicameral state legislature (United States), territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. ...
in
1964
Events January
* January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved.
* January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...
. He remained in that position until 1968. In 1969, he went on to occupy a seat in the
Senate of Puerto Rico
The Senate of Puerto Rico ( es, Senado de Puerto Rico) is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate, together with the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, control ...
, filling a vacancy left by
Rafael Durand Manzanal
Rafael may refer to:
* Rafael (given name) or Raphael, a name of Hebrew origin
* Rafael, California
* Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Israeli manufacturer of weapons and military technology
* Hurricane Rafael, a 2012 hurricane
Fiction
* ''R ...
. That same year, he served as Secretary of the Senate and presided the Commission of Treasury until 1972.
In 1972, he ran again for the House of Representatives at the
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
. After being elected, he served as president pro tempore of the House. He was again reelected at the
1976 general elections, and was appointed as Minority Speaker for his party. In 1982, he was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. He served as such until 1984.
Personal life
Colberg Ramírez was married to Eva Toro Fránquiz (b. 1925), also from Cabo Rojo. They had six children: Yanira (b. 1951), Severo (b. 1953), Eva (b. 1955), Esther (b. 1961), Nelson (b. 1963), and Jorge (b. 1965). Their son,
Severo Colberg Toro
Severo Colberg Toro (born on November 6, 1953, in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Fre ...
, was a member of the House of Representatives with the PPD from 1993 to 2004. The youngest son,
Jorge Colberg Toro
Jorge Colberg Toro (born October 7, 1965) is a Puerto Rican politician, a former Member of the House of Representatives and a College Professor. He served as a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives from 2003 to 2013. He also was Sec ...
, was also elected as a member of the House of Representatives with the PPD from 2008 to 2012. Another notable member of his family was his cousin Dr.
Rebekah Colberg
Dr. Rebekah Colberg Cabrera (December 25, 1918 – July 8, 1985),Dates of birth and death were provided and confirmed by thPuerto Rico Olympic CommitteeAugust 24, 2010 was a Puerto Rican athlete, who was known as "The Mother of Women' ...
, known as "The Mother of Women's Sports in Puerto Rico".
Colberg Ramírez died on December 26, 1990, in the city of
Bayamón and was buried at the Buxeda Memorial Park in
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the ju ...
. Eva Toro Fránquiz died on August 2, 2006 at the age of 81.
[Archivo Digital Periódico PrimeraHora.com, 2 de agosto de 2006]
See also
*
List of Puerto Ricans
Notes
References
, -
External links
Severo Colberg Ramírez
on SenadoPR
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colberg, Severo
1924 births
1990 deaths
20th-century American politicians
Harvard Kennedy School alumni
Popular Democratic Party members of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico
Speakers of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico
Members of the Senate of Puerto Rico
People from Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
United States Army Air Forces soldiers
University of Puerto Rico alumni
University of Puerto Rico faculty
United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II