Justo A. Méndez Rodriguez

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Méndez and the second or maternal family name is Rodríguez.

Justo Alcides Méndez Rodriguez (December 2, 1917 – September 2, 1995) was a Puerto Rican politician who served as a Senator in the Puerto Rico Legislature.^[1]

Justo Alcides Méndez Rodríguez
Member of the Puerto Rico Senate from the At Large district
In office 1968–1976
Minority Leader of the Puerto Rico Senate
In office 1969–1972
Personal details
Born	December 2, 1917 Lares, Puerto Rico
Died	September 2, 1995 (aged 77) San Juan, Puerto Rico
Political party	New Progressive Party (PNP)
Alma mater	University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
Occupation	Politician, Senator

Education and career

He was born in Lares, Puerto Rico.^[2] He later studied Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, there he joined the Beta chapter of Phi Sigma Alpha fraternity.^[3][4] He married Provi O. and had three children.^[2]

He began his career as a chemical analyst at the Central Plata in 1941, then he was chief of chemicals at the Central Los Canos, in Arecibo in 1943.^[2] He was a member of the US armed forces from 1943 to 1946, later he worked as Gen. Sipt. at Central Los Canos from 1946 to 1950.^[2] Afterward on he was executive vice-president of the Central Fed. Savings & Loan Assn. from 1958 to 1964.^[2] After that he was president of San Martin Mortgage & investment Corp. from 1964 until 1967.^[2] He served as president of the Junta Planificacion of Arecibo and was a former member of the Junta of Corp Dirs. of Urban Renovation of Housing, and the Junta Dirs. Of the Housing Bank.^[2]

Political career

He was elected senator for the first time in 1968 as a member from the New Progressive Party (NPP)^[2] In the 1968 Senate elections he almost beat out PPD Rafael Hernandez Colon for president when the first vote in the senate was tied 12 to 12, yet in the second round of votes he lost by one vote. The reason for the tie was that some PPD senators such as Lionel Fernández Méndez voted in blank.^[5]

From 1968 till 1972 he was the Minority Leader in the Senate, but after the 1972 elections Carlos Romero Barcelo supported José Menéndez Monroig to be selected to that position instead.^[6] He was also Secretary of Agriculture of Puerto Rico. In 1984 he switched to the Popular Democratic Party (PDP) after a bitter internal fight with Carlos Romero. From May 22, 1986 til December 31, 1988 Secretary of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.^[7] He died in September 1995 at the age of 77 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.^[8]

See also

• Puerto Rico portal
• Biography portal

• University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez people

References

Senate of Puerto Rico
Preceded by Miguel A. García Méndez	Minority Leader of the Puerto Rico Senate 1969–1972	Succeeded by José Menéndez Monroig

1. "PR Senators" (PDF). senadopr.us. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 15, 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
2. Personalities Caribbean, vol. 4, Personalities Ltd., 1971, p. 781
3. Hernández, Rosario (July 20, 1993), R. de la C. 1310 (PDF) (in Spanish), House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, p. 2, archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2011, retrieved September 1, 2010
4. "Capitulo Eterno". fisigmaalfa.org. Archived from the original on 2008-04-15. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
5. Trías Monge, José (1994). Historia constitucional de Puerto Rico, Volumen 5. San Juan, Puerto Rico: La Editorial, Universidad de Puerto Rico. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-8477-0208-4.
6. "Historias Politicas". PNP.org. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
7. Informe de Auditoría DB-99-12 (PDF) (Report). DEPARTAMENTO DE RECURSOS NATURALES Y AMBIENTALES ADMINISTRACION DE RECURSOS NATURALES AREA DE RECURSOS DE AGUA Y MINERALES. 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 26, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
8. Justo Alcides Mendez Y Rodriguez - LifeStory