Editing José Celso Barbosa

{{short description|Puerto Rican politician}}
{{family name hatnote|Barbosa|Alcala|lang=Spanish}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = José Celso Barbosa
| honorific-suffix    =
| image               = Jose Celso Barbosa.jpg
| imagesize           = 140px
| caption             = Dr. José Celso Barbosa
| office              = Member of the Executive Cabinet
| term_start          = 1900
| term_end            = 1917
| predecessor         =
| successor           =
| constituency        =
| majority            =
| state_senate2       = Puerto Rico
| district2           = at-large
| term_start2         = 1917 
| term_end2           = 1921
| vicepresident2      =
| viceprimeminister2  =
| deputy2             =
| lieutenant2         =
| monarch2            =
| president2          =
| primeminister2      =
| governor2           =
| succeeding2         =
| predecessor2        =
| successor2          =
| constituency2       =
| majority2           =
| birth_date          = {{Birth date|1857|7|27}}
| birth_place         = [[Bayamón, Puerto Rico]]
| death_date          = {{death date and age|1921|9|21|1857|7|27}}
| death_place         = [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]]
| nationality         = {{flatlist|
* [[Americans|American]]
* [[Puerto Ricans|Puerto Rican]]
}}
| party               = [[Puerto Rican Republican Party]]
| otherparty          =
| spouse              = Belén Sánchez y Jimenez
| alma_mater          = [[University of Michigan]] ([[Doctor of Medicine|MD]])
| occupation          =
| profession          = {{flatlist|
* Medical [[physician]]
* [[sociologist]]
* political leader in [[Puerto Rico]]
}}
| footnotes           =
}}

'''José Celso Barbosa Alcala''' (July 27, 1857 – September 21, 1921) was a [[Puerto Ricans|Puerto Rican]] [[physician]], [[sociologist]] and political leader. Known as the father of the [[statehood movement in Puerto Rico]],<ref name=doak>{{cite book|last1=Doak|first1=Robin|title=Struggling to Become American|date=2009|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=9781438103976|page=18|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oEBm4hxNbMIC&pg=PA18|access-date=October 3, 2015}}</ref> Barbosa was the first Puerto Rican, and one of the first people of 
African descent to earn a [[medical degree]] in the [[United States]].<ref name="MJCB">[https://www.puertorico.com/attractions/museums/dr-jose-barbosa/ ''Visit the Fascinating Museo Biblioteca Dr. Jose Barbosa.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210035940/https://www.puertorico.com/attractions/museums/dr-jose-barbosa/ |date=December 10, 2020 }} Puerto Rico.com  2019. Accessed June 19, 2019.</ref>

After his return to the island in 1880, Barbosa made many contributions to medicine and public health. He initiated an early form of health insurance, encouraging employers to pay a fee to cover the future needs of their employees. In 1900, Barbosa was among the first five Puerto Rican leaders appointed to the Executive Cabinet under Governor [[Charles H. Allen]], in the first civilian government organized by the United States. He served in the Cabinet until 1917. From 1917 to 1921, Barbosa served in the [[1st Puerto Rican Senate|first elected Puerto Rican Senate]].

==Early years ==
Barbosa was born in 1857 in the city of [[Bayamón, Puerto Rico|Bayamón]], [[Captaincy General of Puerto Rico|Puerto Rico]] where he received both his primary and secondary education. Though he was a product of European and west African lineages, Celso y Barbosa was the first person of any African ancestry to attend Puerto Rico's prestigious Jesuit Seminary. After graduating from the seminary, Barbosa tutored private students to save money to attend college. In 1875, he moved to [[New York City]] to attend prep school, where he learned [[English language|English]] in a year.<ref name="Barbosa">{{cite web|last1=Virgen de los Angeles Cedeño Torres|title=José Celso Barbosa y Alcalá|website=La Red Biográfica de Puerto Rico|url=https://www.angelfire.com/ny/conexion/barbosa_alcala_jose_celso.html|access-date=October 2, 2015}}</ref>

==Education==
[[File:House of José Celso Barbosa.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Museo José Celso Barbosa, the doctor's birthplace and childhood home]]
Originally Barbosa wished to become a lawyer, but after he suffered a bout of [[pneumonia]] in [[New York City]], his doctor recommended that he study medicine. In 1877 he applied but was denied admission to the [[Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons|College of Physicians and Surgeons]] at Columbia University, due to his African heritage
.<ref>{{Cite web|last=oliverio75|date=February 5, 2015|title=Jose Celso Barbosa|url=https://americanlatinohistory.wordpress.com/2015/02/05/jose-celso-barbosa/|access-date=March 24, 2021|website=American Latino History|language=en}}</ref> He then applied and was admitted to the medical school of the [[University of Michigan]], where he graduated as [[valedictorian]] of the class of 1880. Barbosa was the first person from Puerto Rico to earn a medical degree in the United States.<ref name="MJCB"/> He returned to Puerto Rico, where he set up a practice in his hometown of Bayamón.<ref name=rivera>{{cite web|last1=Rivera|first1=Magaly|title=Famous Puerto Ricans|url=http://welcome.topuertorico.org/culture/famousprA-C.shtml|website=Welcome to Puerto Rico!|access-date=October 2, 2015}}</ref>

The Spanish colonial government initially did not recognize Barbosa's medical degree, as it was not from a known European university. The American consul to the island intervened on behalf of Barbosa to have his United States degree recognized, so that he could practice.<ref name="MJCB"/>

Barbosa provided medical care all over the island. He introduced the novel idea of employers paying a fee for the future healthcare 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.''<ref name="Barbosa" />

==Political career==
During the Spanish colonial period, Barbosa was a member of the Partido Autonomista Puro (Pure Autonomous Party), also known as "Partido Histórico" and "Partido Ortodoxo", led by [[Román Baldorioty de Castro]], but left because of ideological differences.<ref>[https://www.claridadpuertorico.com/de-los-origenes-de-los-partidos-politicos-en-puerto-rico-al-partido-republicano-puertorriqueno-y-don-jose-celso-barbosa-ii/ ''De los orígenes de los partidos políticos en Puerto Rico al Partido Republicano Puertorriqueño y don José Celso Barbosa II.''] Claridad. San Juan, Puerto Rico. Accessed May 31, 2019.</ref>

In 1898, when the United States bombarded and blockaded San Juan during the [[Spanish–American War]], Barbosa and other doctors who lived in Bayamón traveled to the town of [[Cataño, Puerto Rico|Cataño]] and took a ferry to the capital. Barbosa, as a member of the [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|Red Cross]], went to the aid of the wounded Puerto Rican and Spanish soldiers. He and his party on the ferry had to travel across [[San Juan Bay]] at risk, as they were under cannon fire. Barbosa and those with him were recommended by the Spanish government for the ''Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Naval'' (The Cross of the Order of Naval Merit) for their bravery.<ref name=iriarte>{{cite web|last1=Iriarte|first1=Luis M.|last2=Quiñones|first2=Denise|title=El Museo del 98|url=http://home.coqui.net/sarrasin/museo8.htm#anchor121033|website=1898 La Guerra Hispano Americana en Puerto Rico|access-date=October 2, 2015}}</ref>

As a result of the war, the United States made Puerto Rico one of its territories. On July 4, 1899, Barbosa formed the pro-statehood [[Republican Party of Puerto Rico (1899)|Partido Republicano de Puerto Rico]]. He became known as the father of the statehood for Puerto Rico movement.<ref name="doak"/>
{{clear}}

==Later years==
[[Image:Bust of Jose Celso Barbosa.jpg|225px|thumb|Bust of Dr. Barbosa]]
On June 5, 1900, President [[William McKinley]] named Barbosa, together with [[Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón]], [[José de Diego]], Manuel Camuñas and Andrés Crosas, as part of an Executive Cabinet under U.S.-appointed Governor [[Charles H. Allen]], the first civilian governor of the island. The Executive Cabinet also included six American members.<ref name="PRSAW">{{cite web|title=Chronology of Puerto Rico in the Spanish–American War|url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/chronpr.html|website=The World of 1898: The Spanish–American War|publisher=Library of Congress|access-date=October 2, 2015}}</ref> Barbosa served on the Executive Cabinet until 1917, dealing with a variety of governors appointed by the US during that period, and providing continuity in administration.<ref name="González Vales">{{cite web |last1=González Vales |first1=Luis E. |title=José Celso Barbosa "Un Hombre del Pueblo" |url=http://www.oslpr.org/v2/PDFS/bbook-es.pdf |website=Oficina de Servicios Legislativos |publisher=Historiador Oficial de Puerto Rico |access-date=July 20, 2019 |pages=6 |language=es |archive-date=June 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630020757/http://www.oslpr.org/v2/PDFS/bbook-es.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

During this period, in 1907 he founded the newspaper ''[[El Tiempo (Puerto Rico)|El Tiempo]],'' the first bilingual newspaper published on the island.<ref name="González Vales" />

With representative elections authorized in 1917, Barbosa ran for an [[at-large]] seat. He was elected, serving as a member of the [[1st Puerto Rican Senate|first Puerto Rican Senate]], from 1917 to 1921.<ref name="González Vales" />

José Celso Barbosa died in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]] on September 21, 1921. He was buried in [[Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery]] in [[Old San Juan]]. One of his daughters, [[Pilar Barbosa]], became a historian, serving as the [[Official Historian of Puerto Rico]] from 1993 to 1997. She was also a political activist who carried on her father's work.<ref name=vargas-rosario>{{cite web|last1=Cirilo Toro Vargas|title=Pilar Barbosa de Rosario|url=https://www.angelfire.com/ny/conexion/barbosa_de_rosario_pilar.html|website=La Red Biográfica de Puerto Rico|access-date=October 2, 2015}}</ref><ref name="González Vales" />

==Legacy and honors==

*Puerto Rico has declared his birthday, July 27, an official holiday,<ref name=doak /> known as [[José Celso Barbosa Day (Puerto Rico)|José Celso Barbosa Day]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pr51st.com/jose-celso-barbosa-day/ |title=José Celso Barbosa Day |date=July 27, 2016 |website=Puerto Rico 51st |language=en-US |access-date=July 25, 2018 }}</ref>
*[[José Celso Barbosa House Museum|Barbosa's house in Bayamón]] has been preserved and is operated as a [[historic house museum]]. Many of his awards, certificates, books and other artifacts of interest are on exhibit.<ref>[http://travelandsports.com/mjcb961.htm Museo José Celso Barbosa], ''Travel and Sports'' {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927014733/http://travelandsports.com/mjcb961.htm |date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref>  
*On August 1, 2006, the [[United States Postal Service]] Post Office at 100 Avenida RL Rodriguez in Bayamón was named as the "Dr. Jose Celso Barbosa Post Office Building".  The act for this was signed by President [[George W. Bush]].<ref group=NB>Public Law 109-253; House Resolution 3440; U.S. 109th Congress in 2006</ref><ref name=pl-109-253>{{USPL|109|253}}</ref>
* In [[Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce]], there is a school named after him.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://liherald.com/longbeach/stories/barnum-woods-lends-a-hand-to-puerto-rico,100724 |title=Barnum Woods lends a hand to Puerto Rico. |first=Brian |last=Stieglitz |work=Long Island Herald |date=March 2, 2018|access-date=June 14, 2018 }}</ref>
*Avenida José C. Barbosa, in [[Yauco]], is named for him.

==Descendants==
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2023}}

Barbosa had twelve children including, Roberto C. Barbosa who became a dentist, Guillermo H. Barbosa, who became a surgeon and [[Pilar Barbosa|Pilar Barbosa de Rosario]], who became Puerto Ricos first female official historian and married José Ezequiel Rosario. His cousin Jesus, gave birth to Oddosia "Thea" Barbosa.

==See also==
{{Portal|Puerto Rico|biography}}
*[[List of Puerto Ricans]]
*[[Pilar Barbosa]]
{{Clear}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=NB}}

==References==
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-pr-sen}}
{{s-bef|before=First Minority Leader}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Party leaders of the Senate of Puerto Rico|Minority Leader of the Puerto Rico Senate]]|years=1917–1920 }}
{{s-aft|after=[[José Tous Soto]]}}
{{s-end}}
* {{Wikisource inline|Public Law 109-253|Public Law 109–253}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|José Celso Barbosa}}

{{1917 PR Senate}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barbosa, Jose Celso}}
[[Category:1857 births]]
[[Category:1921 deaths]]
[[Category:Burials at Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery]]
[[Category:Members of the Senate of Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:People from Bayamón, Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican party leaders]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican people of African descent]]
[[Category:Republican Party (Puerto Rico) politicians]]
[[Category:Statehood movement in Puerto Rico]]
[[Category:University of Michigan Medical School alumni]]
[[Category:19th-century Puerto Rican physicians]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico]]