Juan Bernardo Huyke (1880-1961) was the first Puerto Rican born to serve as Governor of Puerto Rico.
Background
Huyke was born in Arroyo, Puerto Rico on June 11, 1880. He was an attorney, writer, publisher, educator, and statesman. He served as Puerto Rico’s Superintendent of School from 1908 until 1910. As superintendent, he was one of the first people to promote bilingual education. He served in Puerto Rico’s Assembly from 1912 to 1920, and became Commissioner of Public Instruction in 1921 until 1930.
In 1923, Huyke was appointed Governor of Puerto Rico by United States President Warren G. Harding, making Huyke the first Puerto Rican civilian to serve as governor. Prior to Huyke, U.S. Armed Forces personnel governed the island. From 1935 to 1945 Huyke was Chairman of the Civil Service Commission.
Publications
In 1932, Huyke published El Pais (The Country) a pro-statehood newspaper that represented many conservative views.
Huyke wrote and published several books, among his popular sellers were Children and Schools, Advice Our Youth, Stories of Puerto Rico, If I Were 21 Years Old, Verse of Hector, The Small Cause, The Antillean Agony, and How I Educated My Son.
