Simón Moret Gallart

Simón Moret Gallart
Mayor Simón Moret Gallart
Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico
In office 1907–1914
Preceded by	Santiago Oppenheimer
Succeeded by	Rafael Rivera Esbrí
Personal details
Born	1853 Ponce, Puerto Rico
Died	1923
Nationality	Puerto Rican
Spouse(s)	Matilde Perdomo Morales
Profession	politician

Simón Moret Gallart (1853 - 1923) was Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico, from 1907 to 1914.

Early years

Moret Gallart was born in Ponce, in 1853.^{[1][lower-alpha 1]} He was a descendant of a French immigrant by the same name (Moret Gallart) who settled in Puerto Rico in 1816. His parents were Clemente Moret and Francisca Gallart.

Mayoral tenure

He was elected mayor of Ponce in 1906 and took the oath of office in 1907. He was a member of the Union of Puerto Rico Party and defeated Manuel V. Domenech of the Republican Party in a contested election.^[2] In 1911, Mayor Moret received from the Government of the United States of America a franchise for the City of Ponce to operate the Port of Ponce in perpetuity.^[3][4] The port of Ponce has been operated by the municipality since then. It is the only sea port in Puerto Rico owned and administered by a municipal body.

Mayor Moret Gallart (second from the right) walks with President Theodore Roosevelt (dressed in white) on Roosevelt's arrival in Ponce in 1906

Among his mayoral accomplishments are the construction of the Ponce Firefighters Mausoleum at Cementerio Civil de Ponce, which was completed on 2 Abril 1911. He also built the Port of Ponce following an ordinance approved by the Consejo Ejecutivo de Puerto Rico in 1911.^[5]

Family life

In 1920, Simón Moret Gallart married Matilde Perdomo Morales. Simón had five children, including three daughters and two sons.

Death

He died in 1923 and was buried at Cementerio Católico San Vicente de Paul.^[6]

Legacy

In Ponce there is a public school named after him, Elementary School Simón Moret Gallart, located at Carr 504, Km. 0.8, in barrio Portugues.^[7][8] The school ceased operations in 2013 ^[9] and as of 2015 the Government had put out bids for its demolition.^[10]

Honors

Moret Gallard is honored at Ponce's Park of Illustrious Ponce Citizens. Only six other mayors, of over 200 former Ponce mayors, are honored there.^[11]

Notes

See also

• Ponce, Puerto Rico
• List of famous Puerto Ricans

References

1. ↑ Biografia de Simón Moret Gallart. Biblioteca Escuela Simon Moret Gallart. Ponce, Puerto Rico.
2. ↑ Domenech v. Moret: Appeal from the District Court of Ponce. Reports of Cases Adjudged in the Supreme Court of Porto Rico. Antonio F. Castro, Secretary and Reporter. Volumen 13 (June 14 - December 23, 1907.) Government of Puerto Rico. San Juan, PR. Bureau of Supplies, Printing and Transportation. Case No. 127. Decided June 26, 1907. Page 97.
3. ↑ Neysa Rodriguez Deynes. Brevario Sobre la Historia de Ponce. Second Edition. Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. 2002. Page 14. Printed by Impress Quality Printing, Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
4. ↑ Administración Municipal engaña a los ponceños indica presidente del PPD en Ponce. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 12 December 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
5. ↑ Biografia de Simón Moret Gallart. Biblioteca Escuela Simon Moret Gallart. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 7 September 2011.
6. ↑ Biografia de Simón Moret Gallart. Biblioteca Escuela Simon Moret Gallart. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 7 September 2011.
7. ↑ Simon Moret Gallart. Public Schools Report. 2016. Accessed 26 May 2016.
8. ↑ AVISO DE SUBASTA: DEMOLICIÓN DE ESCUELA ELEMENTAL SIMÓN MORET GALLART, Ponce, Puerto Rico (AEP – 8974A), Subasta Número: 2015-AEP-C-0003. Accessed 26 May 2016.
9. ↑ Simon Moret Gallart Elementary School (Closed 2013). Public School Review. 2016. Accessed 26 May 2016.
10. ↑ AVISO DE SUBASTA: DEMOLICIÓN DE ESCUELA ELEMENTAL SIMÓN MORET GALLART, Ponce, Puerto Rico (AEP – 8974A), Subasta Número: 2015-AEP-C-0003. Government of Puerto Rico. Administracion de Edificios Publicos. 18 March 2015. Accessed 26 May 2016.
11. ↑ Politics. TravelPonce. Retrieved 18 June 2012.