Ricardo Alegría
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Dr. Ricardo Alegría (born April 14, 1921 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican scholar known as the "Father of Modern Puerto Rican Archaeology".
Alegría is credited with being a pioneer in the anthropolic studies of the Taino culture and the African heritage in Puerto Rico. His extensive studies have helped historians to understand how the Tainos lived and suffered, before and after the Spanish Conquistadores arrived in the island. Alegría estimated that about one third of all Puerto Ricans (2 million out of 6 million) have Taino blood and therefore the Tainos where not completely extinct and some had to survive. Recently, the results of recent DNA studies have proved him right.
Alegría was named the first director of the "Institute of Puerto Rican Culture". He was responsible for the creation of the "Archaeological Center of Investigation of the University of Puerto Rico". Alegría also created the "Center of Popular Arts of the Puerto Rican Cultural Institute" and of the program of publication of books of the institute.
Alegría was responsible of the renovation and restoration of Historical "Old San Juan" under the leadership of then San Juan mayor Felisa Rincon de Gautier. As a result of his work "Old San Juan" was declared a "Historical World Treasure".
In 1976, Alegría opened the "Center of Advanced Studies of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean". In 1992, he established the "Museum of the Americas".
In 1993, President Bill Clinton presented Alegría with the "Charles Frankel Honor Award" for his contributions in the field of archaeology. In 1996, he was awarded the "James Smithson Bicentennial Medal". In 2001, Alegría received from the hands of Nancy Morejon "The Haydee Santamaria Medal" in Havana, Cuba. In 2002, Alegría received the "Luis Muñoz Marín Medal" in recognition of his life achievements from Puerto Rican Governor Sila Calderon. Puerto Rican artist Lorenzo Homar honored Alegría by making an artistic graphic poster of him.
Ricardo Alegría still lives in San Juan, however, his age has limited his activities.
