Ernesto Ramos Antonini
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Ernesto Ramos Antonini (April 24, 1898-January 9, 1963 born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico), was the President of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico and co-founder of the "Partido Popular Democrático de Puerto Rico" (Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico).
Antonini was born into a poor family in Mayagüez. As a child, his parents taught him the importance of a getting a good education. During the day he dedicated himself to his school studies and during his free time he was taught how to play the piano by his father who happened to be a musician.
After he graduated from high school, Antonini moved to the City of Río Piedras (which is now a part of San Juan) and enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico to study law. He paid for his school tuition by playing piano at a local theatre and in 1922 earned his law degree.
In 1937 he gained fame as a lawyer when he defended the members of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party who were accused of participating in the Ponce Massacre. He also became known as a defender of the working class by being active in the International Workers Congress. He went in front of the U.S. Congress and defended the Puerto Rican workers who were being abused by the American companies established in the island.
In 1924, Antonini joined the "Union Party of Puerto Rico" founded by Antonio R. Barceló which was pro-independence. In 1930, he joined the Liberal Party with Luis Muñoz Marín. In 1932, he was elected to the House of Representatives and Muñoz Marín to the Senate.
In 1938, Antonini became one of the co-founders of the Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico and was elected to the House of Representatives as a member of that political organization. In 1945, he was named President of the Cámara, a position which he held until his death in 1963.
Among the many laws created by Antonini were the following:
- The law that created the Institute of Labor Relations
- The law that created the National Commission of Work Relations
- The Minimum Wage Law of 1956
- The creation of the Free School of Music of San Juan, Ponce and Mayagüez.
- The creation of the Symphonic Orchestra of Puerto Rico
- The law creating the Music Conservatory of Puerto Rico
Together with Dr. Ricardo Alegría, he founded the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture.
Ernesto Ramos Antonini died on January 9, 1963 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The memory of Antonini has been honored by the government of Puerto Rico naming an avenue and public structures after him. In Barceloneta, Puerto Rico there is an Ernesto Ramos Antonini theatre and there is a Museum of History located in the Plaza Ernesto Ramos Antonini in Mayagüez. On December 18, 1997, the Government of Puerto Rico approved the Law Number 166 which proclaims every April 24 from then on to be known as "Ernesto Ramos Antonini Day".
