Pedro Rosselló facts for kids

Pedro Juan Rosselló González (born April 5, 1944) is a Puerto Rican doctor and politician. He served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001. He was also the President of the New Progressive Party for many years. Later, he served as a Senator for the District of Arecibo from 2005 to 2008. His son, Ricardo, also became Governor of Puerto Rico from 2017 to 2019.

In 1988, Rosselló ran for Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, but he did not win. From 1990 to 1991, he became the leader of the New Progressive Party. He was elected Governor of Puerto Rico in 1992 and won re-election in 1996 by a large number of votes. He also led important groups like the Council of State Governments and the Southern Governors' Association. He stopped being active in politics in 2001.

In 2003, Rosselló returned to politics. He won his party's nomination to run for governor again in 2004. However, he lost the election by a very small number of votes. Soon after, he became a Senator for Arecibo. In 2008, he ran for governor again but lost his party's nomination to Luis Fortuño. After finishing his term as Senator, he retired from electoral politics.

As of 2025, Rosselló is the most recent Governor of Puerto Rico to serve more than one term.

Early Life and Education

Pedro Rosselló González was born in San Juan on April 5, 1944. His family came from Lloseta, Mallorca, in Spain.

He went to Academia Santa Teresita and Academia del Perpetuo Socorro in San Juan for his early schooling. Then, he moved to the United States for college. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree with high honors from the University of Notre Dame in 1966. He also received many awards for his studies and sports.

After college, he studied medicine at Yale University, finishing in 1970 with high honors. He then specialized in surgery at Harvard University. After his training, he practiced medicine in Puerto Rico. He also earned a master's degree in Public Health from the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus in 1981. In 2015, he earned a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Turabo.

During his college years, Rosselló was a skilled tennis player. He was the captain of Notre Dame's tennis team and won the Puerto Rico Men's Championship five times. He also played for Puerto Rico's team in regional championships. In 2004, he was honored in the Puerto Rico Tennis Hall of Fame.

Early Career in Medicine

Rosselló started his career teaching at Harvard Medical School and the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus. He later became a full professor there.

He became the chief of pediatric surgery and then chief surgeon at the University of Puerto Rico Children's Hospital. In 1985, he was named Health Services Director for the city of San Juan.

Political Journey

Running for Office

Rosselló began his political journey in 1988. He ran for Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, which is Puerto Rico's representative in the U.S. Congress. He did not win that election. However, he received the most votes among candidates from his party, the New Progressive Party (PNP). This helped him become the party's next leader.

After leading a campaign for Puerto Rico to become a U.S. state, he became president of the PNP in 1991. In 1992, he successfully ran for Governor of Puerto Rico, winning against Victoria Muñoz Mendoza.

Governor of Puerto Rico (1993–2001)

As governor, Rosselló started a program called "Mano Dura Contra el Crimen" (Strong Hand Against Crime). This program used the Puerto Rico National Guard to help police fight crime. His administration also worked to create "Drug-Free Zones" in public schools.

His government invested in large projects to improve Puerto Rico. These included a train system called Tren Urbano and a new convention center in San Juan, which is now named the Pedro Rosselló Convention Center. Other big projects were the Coliseum of Puerto Rico, the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico, and Highway 66.

Under his leadership, a healthcare reform was approved. This reform helped almost all people in Puerto Rico get health insurance. It also made Puerto Rico one of the few places where nearly all babies under two years old were vaccinated.

He also led two campaigns in 1993 and 1998 for Puerto Rico to become a U.S. state. These campaigns involved votes where people could choose Puerto Rico's political status. In the 1998 vote, many people chose "None of the Above," which showed they did not support any of the options given.

In the 1996 elections, he won a second term as governor. He received over one million votes, which was the largest victory margin since 1964.

In 1998, a part of the state-owned Puerto Rico Telephone Company (PRTC) was sold to private companies. This sale caused a large strike by labor unions. The sale aimed to help PRTC compete better after new laws changed the telecommunications industry.

Senator (2005–2009)

Rosselló became a Senator of Puerto Rico on February 13, 2005. He took the seat after another senator resigned.

In 2006, Rosselló organized a march called "La Marcha por el Fin de la Colonia" (The March for the End of the Colony). The goal was to show that Puerto Rico was still a colony and to ask the United States Congress to allow Puerto Rico to decide its own future. Rosselló strongly supports Puerto Rico becoming the 51st state of the United States. The march covered the entire coast of Puerto Rico over 16 days.

In 2007, Rosselló stated he would not run for governor again in 2008. However, a large group from his party later asked him to run, and he agreed to have his name on the ballot. He faced Luis Fortuño in the party's primary election.

In March 2008, Rosselló accepted that Luis Fortuño had won the primary election by a large number of votes.

Family Life

Pedro Rosselló married Irma Margarita "Maga" Neváres on August 9, 1969. They have three sons: Juan Oscar, Luis Roberto, and Ricardo Antonio. They also have several grandchildren. His youngest son, Ricardo, later became the 12th Governor of Puerto Rico.

One of Rosselló's nephews, Roy Rossello, was a member of the famous boy band Menudo.

Images for kids

See also

In Spanish: Pedro Rosselló para niños