Felisa Rincon de Gautier

Felisa Rincón de Gautier a.k.a Doña Fela (January 9, 1897 – September 16, 1994) born in Ceiba, Puerto Rico was the first women in history to be elected mayor of a capital city in all of The Americas.

Felisa was the oldest of 9 siblings. When she was young, she was influenced by her father who was very active in politics. Her mother died when she was only 11 years old. Felisa went to school in Fajardo, Humacao and Santurce where she graduated from high school. She studied pharmacy and became a pharmacist. Felisa moved to New York where she learned the art of high fashion design. When she returned to Puerto Rico, she opened a store called 'Felisas Style Shop" and also a flower shop.

Felisa was a firm believer that women should have the right to vote. She was an active participant in the suffragist movement and motivated many women to register. When the law allowing women to vote was passed, Felisa was the 5th women to officially register.

In 1932, Felisa joined the "Liberal Party", which believed in Puerto Rico's independence, and was named representative by the party's president Antonio R. Barcelo. Motivated by the political ideas of Luis Muñoz Marin, she left the Liberal Party and in 1938 helped organize the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico.

In 1940, Felisa married the San Juan lawyer Genaro A. Gautier, who served as "Asistant Attorney General of Puerto Rico" and Secretary General of the Popular Democratic Party.

In 1946, Felisa was elected mayor of San Juan. No other women had ever been elected mayor of a capital city in the Americas before. Under her leadership, San Juan iniciated the transformation into a great urban center. Felisa designed innovative public services. She established the first pre-school centers called "The Escuelas Matemales", which would eventually become the model for the "Head Start" programs in the U.S. Felisa also renovated the public health system and was responsible for the establishment of the school of medicine in San Juan. She worked together with Ricardo Alegria to restore and conserve the historical structures of "Old San Juan". She provided housing and basic services to thousands of people. She opened City Hall to the public and listened to their concerns. In 1959, San Juan was awarded the "All American City Award".

Felisa started a Christmas tradition, which would be continued every year by Puerto Ricos governors. On the "Dia de Reyes " (Three Kings Day), celebrated on January 6, she gave gifts and treats to the poor and needy children. Once she even had a plane load of snow delivered to San Juan so that the childern who had never seen or played in snow, would be able to do so. She was mayor for 22 years, from 1946 to 1968.

Felisa, after retiring, served as the "American Ambasador of Good Will" for four presidents. She served in Latin-America, Asia and Europe. She promoted friendship between those continents and the United States.

Among her many awards and condecorations were the following: "The Medal of Joan of Arce " from France, The "Golden Medal of Honor", "Don Quijote Medal" and the "Isabel the Catholic Medal" from Spain, The "Simon Bolivar Medal" from Venezuela, "The Order of Merit" from Israel, The "Golden Medal of Honor" from Ecuador, She was named "Women of the Americas" in 1954 by the Union of American Women of New York, She was awarded the "Medal of the Sagrado Sepulcro of Jeruselem" by Cardenal Francis Spellmen of New York, the "John Adams Medal" from the Federated Womens Club of America and in 1961, Eleanor Roosevelt awarded her the "Madeline Borg Award from the Philanthropic Hebrew Federation of New York".

When Felisa Rincon de Gautier died in San Juan on September 16, 1994, she was given the burial honors of a head of state. Dignateries from all over the world attended her funeral services.

Felisa's memory has been honored by Puerto Rico by the naming of public structures and avenues after her. There is a Felisa Rincon de Gautier Museum in San Juan and a school in Brooklyn, New York is also named after Doña Fela.

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans